Dreaming Out Loud
by Even.The.Stars.Refuse.To.Shine
Summary: Love, hate... such a fine line between the two. I'd been brought up to hate vampires, and for my entire life I had. And then... I fall in love with one. But how can a vampire love me back? They can't love. Yet I was determined to prove them all wrong.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys!  
>So, as requested, I've started a MarkoOC fic. I hope you all enjoy it :)  
>(I may or may not continue with this depending on whether people like it or not, and depending on whether another fic comes into mind).<br>Also, credit (and thanks) for the photo used on the cover goes to Alyster Dark who runs a webiste called 'Alyster Dark's Lost Corner.' **

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1: I know you<span>_  
><em>

_Run, Allie. Run for your life._

I could hear them yelling behind me. I didn't try to decipher the words, disrupted by short bursts of laughter. My mind was focused on getting my feet to move as fast as possible away from the bloodsucking bastards chasing me.

And then the footsteps cut off.

_Don't look back. They'll catch you if you do. Just run!_

But where to? The rational, coherent part of me asked. I was miles from anywhere. And the only civilization around here appeared in the form of a few small cottages and a narrow tarmac path. The worst part was that I had nothing to defend myself with. No stake, no holy water, not even any garlic. How ironic was it that the day I leave my weapons at home would be the day I needed them most?

I turned on my heel and sprinted up the path. Tree branches whipped across my face as I raced up the narrow trail, screening me from the menacing velvet sky. I had about two minutes before they caught up with me. And when they did . . . well, it was obvious what would happen then.

_Don't think, just run!_

And then, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed the back of my shirt. I flared out, catching something soft with the heel of my foot. I heard a snarl and the hand released me.

I guess my two minutes was cut down to about two seconds. I scampered away from my pursuers in one last desperate attempt to stay alive, choking on the oxygen that wasn't reaching my lungs.

And then a miracle happened. I never thought, not once in my short life, that I'd ever be so glad to see the grey building standing ahead of me. The church loomed slowly into view. Too slowly, in fact – arms flung themselves around my ankle, bringing me hard to the ground before I could reach the lush green turf of the graveyard.

I yelled as my face hit the asphalt.

The same arms that had caught my leg were now dragging me backwards. My bare heels scraped across the dark, stony ground, and I could feel that the skin on them was being torn. I grabbed hold of one of the thin tree trunks to the side of me, and my arms felt like they were about to snap off.

But I didn't let go. My shoulders were on fire, and my whole body was in agony; blood dripped off my face. For a second black spots danced across my vision.

And then the hands let go of me. I gasped and scurried off into the trees, crossing the edge of the lawn just in time.

My body crumpled on the dewy grass. I'd never felt so relieved to be on holy ground. The hisses behind me were proof of the fact that I'd survived, and if I wasn't so exhausted, I would have laughed out loud.

"Not this time, bloodsuckers." I gasped.

I rolled away from the snarls and hisses to be on the safe side, and then my eyes slid shut.

I drifted into a peaceful unconsciousness.

I came around just when it started to rain. The wet, ice-cold drops of water splashed rebelliously on my forehead until I couldn't stand it any longer. I wrenched myself up, and when I saw that I was lying bare-footed in a graveyard, last night came back pretty darn quick. I muttered about cold-blooded killers as I gathered myself together.

Why had I been wandering around by myself last night at all? Hadn't I been taught, over and over again, not to put myself at risk when I didn't have to? The thought of mentors made me feel sick. Crap. What was I going to tell Edgar and Alan? The truth, I supposed. There wasn't much else I _could_ say. Apart from nothing. And they would jump for joy when they heard that there were four – maybe more? – vampires in Santa Carla. They didn't seem to care about the fact that they'd never even seen one before. They were both totally convinced that we were all hardcore vampire slayers.

I shook my head and stood up, wincing when my whole body flared in pain. Ouch. Was there any part of me that _didn't _hurt? I had yet to find it.

I limped back along the path, noticing two long bloodstains and another burgundy patch on the asphalt. I quickly ran a fingertip across my forehead. It was covered in dried blood. Great. Another injury to explain to my not-so-understanding mother – she didn't comprehend how near-death experiences and concussions were a normal part of a teenager's life. Or my life.

I hesitated when I reached the comic store ten minutes later. I was one-hundred percent aware of the blood smeared across my face, and I was pretty sure that I couldn't just blow it off.

_Oh, yeah, don't mind the gash on my face. Or all the skin ripped off of my heels. It's nothing. Don't worry about it. _

I was sure _that _wasn't going to go down well. I took a deep breath and pushed through the door.

Edgar and Alan were lounging by the counter when I hobbled in, conversing quietly in low voices with each other. When they turned to look at me, their faces went blank with shock.

"Allie?" gasped Edgar.

"Hi, guys. Do I really look that bad?"

"What happened to you?" said Alan.

I grimaced. "We might want to take this conversation somewhere more private. Away from eavesdroppers."

I glowered at a kid browsing for comics who'd been staring.

"I think you're right. Outside?"

I nodded and followed them out.

"So, what happened?" demanded Alan.

"Vampires." I said, straight to the point. "There are vampires in Santa Carla. Four of them – the same four that chased me last night."

They blanched. "What do you mean, 'they chased you?'"

"I mean exactly that. They came at me out of the blue as I was walking home last night – hey! Don't look at me like that! I'm sixteen; I can walk home by myself. Anyway, as I was saying: they followed me for about a mile, and then I found a church. No big deal."

"And your face?"

"We had a bit of a scrap, but it's nothing serious," I said. "I kicked one of them in the face, though."

Edgar grinned. "Excellent."

"So where's my 'I'm so sorry about your face, Allie, you must have had a rough time?'"

"It was coming."

I rolled my eyes. "Sure it was."

"Allie!"

I turned round at the mention of my name, and instantly wished I hadn't. A girl with long, flowing raven hair stood before me, grinning so widely that her face was prone to being split in half. Her beautiful visage radiated vanity.

"Oh." I tried to sound pleased to see her. "Hey, Tara. How are you?"

"Great! How about you?"

I wondered whether she saw the massive gash on my face or not. "Oh, I'm brilliant. Couldn't be better."

She grinned as if she hadn't noticed my dripping sarcasm.

"Well, seeing as we're both here, would you like to come on some of the rides with me? I dumped my boyfriend earlier, see."

I heard Alan choke on his own laughter behind me, before turning it into a hacking cough.

"I thought you only started dating him yesterday?"

She shrugged. "He was getting kind of boring."

"Of course."

"So, do you want to?"

_No. I'd rather burn in hell. _"OK then, I guess."

"Thanks, Allie!" She grabbed my hand and dragged my away from the Frogs. "We need to get that off your face, though. You look hideous!"

"Really?"

"Mm-hm. I have some make-up if you want me to put some on you."

I tried to smile at her, but it came out as a sort of twisted grimace. "Thanks, Tara."

"No problem!"

I scowled. I'd rather face vampires again than spend a whole day with Little Miss Perfect.

By the end of the day, I could wholeheartedly agree with that statement.

"Will you walk home with me?" She begged, doing her best impression of a whining puppy as we ambled out of the boardwalk. "I don't like the dark."

"Uh, yeah, sure." I said.

Her blue eyes lit up like a child's on Christmas morning, and she clapped her hands together. "Thanks!"

"Don't mention it." I muttered.

I glared as headlights came round the corner, along with howls of laughter and yells. Four motorcycles pulled up to the curb, and I backed away, tugging Tara along.

"C'mon," I muttered as the bikes' roars cut off.

But she wouldn't budge.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed? _C'mon!" _

I looked up when the bikers approached us. And then I understood. Tara was staring at them with a dazed expression on her face, her thoughts written plainly across her features.

I almost groaned out loud when she grinned at them.

"Well hello, boys," she said in a teasing, coy voice.

One of them grinned back; his sandy blond hair was strewn in a lion's mane around his head. "Ladies," he greeted us.

Tara batted her eyelashes at him and cocked a hip out to the side, sliding her miniskirt up her waist until I could hardly see it. I almost gagged.

"We should go now," I murmured lamely, and tried tugging on her hand again as I surveyed the rest of the bikers.

The one farthest away from me was probably the tallest, with hair blacker than the sky. He had a serious expression on his face and, unlike the blond, he didn't seem an ounce interested in Tara. The man stood next to him didn't seem particularly interested either, but had a smirk on his face which told me he was enjoying himself. He had platinum blond hair which gleamed silver in the starlight.

And the last one . . . was looking at me really weirdly. Like he was trying to figure something out. There was a small crease on his forehead as he frowned, and I automatically brought my hand up to the gash on my head.

I swear I'd seen this guy before. It was right on the edge of my mind . . . until Tara said my name.

"Allie? Allie, this is Paul, Dwayne, David and Marko." She said, as if they were all the best of friends.

I ignored her, staring at the one called Marko. His curly blond hair made a halo around his head, and I had to grab my wrist to stop myself from reaching out to touch it. Was it really as soft as it looked?

He looked down when my hand jerked, and raised his eyebrows when he saw me grasping my wrist. I let it go and blushed, trying to look away from his eyes.

But they were captivating. It seemed like I could see into them for miles and miles, like a deep ocean, even though the waves were stormy grey. They were completely in contrast with his vivid patchwork jacket, which surprisingly didn't make him look like a clown as I would have thought.

"N-nice jacket," I stammered, and then blushed.

"Don't mind her, she's just had a bit too much to drink, that's all." Said Tara silkily.

"I haven't had anything to drink!" I protested heatedly.

She smiled condescendingly and patted my arm. "It's time you should be getting home, don't you think, Allie? I'm sure your mum won't be able to tell you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk!"

"There, there." She patted my arm again, and turned back to the bikers. "Well aren't you going to offer me a ride, then?" she asked.

I stood there with my mouth wide open. "I thought you were scared of the dark?"

"When did I ever say that?" she said innocently.

"You . . . you told me earlier!"

Tara laughed. "No I didn't, silly. Now go home."

"Tara, don't go with them! You don't even know who they are."

The platinum blond smirked. "Clever girl,"

I saw Tara shiver momentarily at the sound of his voice, but she regained her composure quickly and winked at . . . David, was it?

"Tara, I'm serious," I said. "Don't go with them."

"You're being ridiculous, Allie. I'll call you tomorrow, alright? I'll be very busy tonight . . ." she trailed off into a giggle and looked hopefully at Marko.

Unexplained anger boiled inside me.

"Fine then. Be like that. It's not my fault if anything happens to you." I turned away from her.

"Oh, stop being such a spoilsport. She's always like this," she added to the boys.

"Just because I don't suddenly turn into a slut when someone of the male species walks round the corner!" I fumed. "You only just dumped your last boyfriend!"

She glared at me. "I'm not going to waste my time on you anymore, Allie. Our friendship is over. Goodbye."

And with that she walked over to Marko and tugged on his hand, pulling him over to his motorcycle. I watched them drive away, Tara clinging onto Marko just a little _too _tight. God, I could've killed her at that moment.

"Slut," I muttered and stalked off, white-hot anger raging inside of me.

Why did I care so much if she went off with them? And more importantly, why did I care so much about her going off with _Marko? _

I shuddered as what could only be called jealousy reared its ugly head at me.

**How was it? If you liked it, check out my other Lost Boys fic, Immortal (David/OC).**

**Review? :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! So thanks to AchadianRose, Gaara-Kurt, kittykat6625, crimsonsky132, and Plainsong30 for reviewing the last chapter. Just in case you didn't know, I really appreciate it :)**

Chapter 2: Envy

_Two days later:_

"It wasn't my fault! I told her not to go with them!" I fumed angrily as Tara's parents watched me with unveiled disbelief.

They continued to stare.

"You expect us to believe that Tara – _our Tara _– would just hop onto some stranger's bike and drive away with them?" her father regarded me furiously.

"Well what else would have happened! You think I kidnapped her or something? Why would I lie?"

Her mother looked away, batting her eyelids feverishly. Tears were streaming down her face. It had been two days since Tara had disappeared on Marko's bike, and two days since anyone else had seen her. No one knew where she was – she could have vanished off the face of the entire planet for all the difference it made.

I looked Tara's dad in the eye. "You've got to believe me. If you ever want to see your daughter again, you've got to listen."

"Oh really? How do we know that you aren't leading us into a trap, as you did with our poor daughter?"

"How many times do I have to tell you – I didn't kidnap her!" I said irritably.

"As if I'll believe that!" he scoffed.

"Well, if you're not going to believe me, there's no point in you even being here. So you might as well leave." I said.

I walked to the door and opened it, bowing low in a mocking gesture. Tara's parents stormed past me.

"Well, mum," I said as my own mother walked into the room, "thanks for backing me up."

"It has nothing to do with me," she protested.

"It has everything to do with you! I'm you're daughter, and they're accusing me of kidnapping Tara. You know I'm innocent!"

"Do I?" she asked, cocking one eyebrow.

I gaped. "What, so you think I did it? I'd rather kill myself than kidnap Tara. She'd complain so much I'd have to let her go again straight away."

Mum laughed.

"I'm serious."

"So am I. She'll turn up soon enough – she's just growing up." Said Mum.

"As if Tara's _ever _going to grow up. Have you seen her lately? She's a stuck up cow."

"Allie!"

"It's only the truth," I shrugged.

Mum sighed, exasperated. "Go out and see Edgar and Alan or something. Do something useful for a change."

"It's almost midnight," I pointed out. "You know I'll only come back at, like, four in the morning. Unless you're not bothered . . . ?"

"Just go out, Allie. And be back by three or you're grounded!"

"Yes, mum." I grumbled.

I shuffled out the door and grabbed my bicycle from the garage, towing it far enough down the road until I reached the hill and just rolled down. The boardwalk's lights lit the sky like a huge colony of stars. The music blared in my ears as I padlocked my bike to the wire fencing, loud and powerful enough to pound through my body like waves in the ocean.

It was about then that a particular raven-haired girl came into view.

"Tara! _Tara!" _I yelled.

She caught my eye and slinked into the crowd, recognition clear in her eyes.

"Oh, crap," I muttered. "TARA!"

But she was long gone. I ran through the crowds until my chest was heaving and my legs felt like jelly. I sat down on the ground and scowled at the grey concrete floor.

"What are you doing down there, all by yourself?"

I looked up at a smirking Tara.

"What do you want?" I fumed. "I've been looking everywhere for you. So have your mum and dad! They think I've kidnapped you, for crying out loud."

She shrugged, rolling her eyes. "Who needs _parents?"_

"Oh, right, of course. Because you're _so _grown up that you can look after yourself now. Or is Marko doing that for you?"

"Someone's jealous."

Hot blood rose in my face. "I don't want to be some hobo's slut! And have you been drinking?" I snarled.

"Hobo?" a voice asked.

And then I noticed the four bikers emerging from the huge body of people in front of me.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid. _Why did I say that?

"Oh . . . uh, hi. Marcus."

"Marko." He said, frowning at me.

"Oh, yeah. Right."

I wouldn't have been surprised if my face exploded with all the blood that was gathering in my cheeks.

"Hey, babe," Tara sauntered over to him, purposely treading on my foot, and snaked her arms round his neck.

Paul wolf-whistled and Marko kicked his shin.

And then something clicked.

I stood up abruptly. "I've got to go," I said.

But as I shoved past them, the peroxide blonde caught my arm. "Why don't you come with us?" he asked silkily.

I winced. "Uh . . . my mum said I've got to be back home now."

They all laughed, and I mentally kicked myself.

"Mummy said so, did she?" Paul mocked, laughing and slapping his thigh as if it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard.

"Git," I muttered, pushing past him and snatching my arm out of Peroxide's hand. "Oh yeah, have fun with Marko tonight, Tara!" I called.

I stalked off as she yelled back, searching for the Frog's comic store. I cast one quick look around before I stepped inside.

"Hello, boys." I nodded as they walked over to me.

"Hey, Allie. No vampire attacks today then?"

"Depends what you mean by 'attack', exactly."

I could tell every cell in their bodies were on full alert now.

"What happened?" asked Edger eagerly.

"I think I know who the vampires are." I declared.

They stared. "_What?"_

"Tara is with them. I remember seeing one – the little one – the other night. He was the one that grabbed me. The one that almost killed me." I added quietly.

"Well then what are we waiting for?" cried Alan. "Let's slaughter them!"

I frowned. "It's dark – they'll kill us before we can even touch them. And we don't even know where their hideout is."

"You're right." Allowed Edgar. "But we should still try something tonight – they might kill someone before we can do anything about it. They might kill Tara!"

"Good point . . . let's leave it until tomorrow, give them a shot."

"You can't hate her that much."

I raised an eyebrow. "You wanna bet?"

Alan shrugged and stalked off behind the counter.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

He pulled out a sharpened stick. "Giving you some protection for when you walk back home," he said. "You should leave now while they're still here."

"That's stupid."

"No, that's clever. Trust me, Allie."

"Fine," I snatched the stake out of his hand. "I'll see you around. If I'm not attacked by vampires tonight." I laughed.

"You think it won't happen again?"

I shrugged. "Whatever. See you,"

I shoved out the door and buried my hands in my pockets, sheltering them from the sub-zero weather. When had it gotten so cold?

I'd just swung my leg over my bicycle when four figures stalked out the boardwalk, laughing and yelling as they hopped onto their shiny motorcycles. You would've thought bad luck would want a new target every day or so. Turns out it was happy with me.

I stared at the ground, wishing my cropped salt-and-pepper coloured hair was longer so I would have something to hide behind. Who knows, maybe they wouldn't notice me?

"Hey, _Marcus. _Look who it is!" I heard Paul's voice call out.

Oh, for crying out loud. If these guys really _were _the vampires, then killing them wouldn't be such a bad idea. I was definitely taking out Peroxide.

They pulled over right next to me. I carried on walking.

"Isn't it a little late to be wandering around by yourself, gorgeous?" said Paul. "You could come with us . . . or does Mummy want you home now?"

_Don't hit him. Just keep walking. You can kill him later._

I almost had my anger under control until Marko spoke up. "Paul, leave the girl alone. We'll save her for some other time. You can go home now," he added to me.

"Oh, _can _I now? Wow! Thank you for your permission!"

He glared at me. "Or we could just take her tonight."

"Aren't you satisfied with Tara? Where is she, by the way? Have you dumped her yet?"

Peroxide smirked. "Relax, Marko. No need to get into fights with little girls."  
>"<em>Little girls?"<em>

"Come on, _Marcus." _Paul jeered. "Have some fun. I'm sure what's-her-name won't get too jealous."

The plan in my head formed before I was even conscious of it.

"Want a ride, then?" Paul grinned at me.

"Why not?" I shrugged, wondering whether I could kill two birds with one stone. Revenge on Tara and revenge on the could-be-vampires in one night? Brilliant.

Marko frowned at my sudden change in attitude. "She's not riding with _me_."

I tried pretending I didn't only care because it was _him _that said that. "Why not? Afraid I'll push you off the bike?"

Paul laughed. "Yeah, _Marcus _–_" _was he ever going to get over that? "– are you scared? I bet you are."

Marko gritted his teeth. "Shut up, Paul. Of course I'm not."

"Then why won't you ride with her?"

He scowled at me. "Because she annoys me."

"Because you're scared . . . poor _Marcus."_

"Get on the bike," Marko growled at me.

I obeyed silently, smirking as Tara stumbled into view, clutching a half-empty beer bottle in her hand.

The look on her face as we pulled away was worth all the bad luck in the world.

* * *

><p>"You live in a <em>cave?" <em>I asked with incredulity as Marko led me into the room. "That's so _cool!"_

I looked around. Three tatty couches were huddled in one corner of the room, along with a wheelchair. A threadbare carpet covered half of the floor.

He actually smiled at me a little. "So there _are_ some things you like."

"What made you think I didn't like anything?" I asked warily.

He shrugged. "You seem as if you're looking for something, and nothing else is good enough. Like something's missing in your life."

"Whoa," I said. "_Deeeeeep_."

The dark-haired one chuckled, and Paul burst into laughter. "Oh, profound one! Enlighten us with your mystical ways . . ."

"Paul, if you want to keep your pretty face then shut up."

"Either way it'll still be prettier than yours, _Marcus."_

Marko scowled. "My name's _Marko."_

"Whatever, _Marcus."_

Peroxide gave him a hard look.

"Hey, you hungry?" Paul asked me.

I shrugged. "Sure."

Marko stood up, glaring at Paul, and stalked off into an adjoining cavern. He came back carrying some cartons and five pairs of chopsticks.

Paul grabbed a carton and threw it to me. "Here," he said.

I opened it and he tossed me some chopsticks. "Chopsticks?" I asked, sitting on the couch.

"Don't you like Chinese or something?"

"No, it's just . . . never mind."

I tried to pretend I knew how to use them, but ended up with one in each hand, trying to pick up grains of rice in vain.

Marko laughed. "Need some help with that?"

"Uh . . . yeah." I admitted.

He sat down next to me and took my hand in his, showing me how to position my fingers so that the chopsticks rested loosely in my hand. By the time he moved away I was positive that my face was a solid shade of vermillion.

"Better?" he asked as I shovelled rice into my mouth.

"Mm-hm,"

Peroxide started to laugh quietly. "How are those maggots?" he asked.

I blinked. "What?"

"Maggots. You're eating maggots."

I frowned and glanced down at the carton of rice. A thousand tiny insects filled the box, crawling blindly over each other, ashen and pale.

I retched, spitting the disgusting grubs out of my mouth. "You sick bastard!" I croaked as Peroxide laughed even harder.

I gagged again and the maggots tumbled to the ground.

Paul, laughing as he watched me, said: "Don't you like rice?"

"They're maggots, you stupid git –" my mouth fell open as I stared at the rice on the floor. There were no insects in sight. "What _are_ you?" I asked coldly, staring at Peroxide. "Some sort of weird, twisted, voodoo master?"

_No, you were right, Allie. He's a vampire. And you, like the idiot you are, walked right into his lair._

"That's enough," a soft voice called.

I jumped so hard I almost fell off the couch. A young woman of about nineteen or twenty walked out of the shadows and regarded me sadly, with sparkling doe-eyes in a warm shade of brown. Chocolate-coloured strands coiled together in a long mane that twisted down her back.

"W-who are you?" I stuttered as she stared at me.

"Star," she replied quietly, her tinkling ankle-bracelets the only sound in the room.

Peroxide glared at her, his eyes hard chips of ice. I was surprised when she didn't even flinch under his harsh gaze.

"It's a bit of fun, Star," he murmured silkily. "You used to have fun, didn't you?"

Star's lip trembled. The atmosphere in the room was deadly quiet.

"Now go back to sleep," he snapped, watching as Star faded away into the shadows.

"You can't do that!" I said, my voice shaking with anger. "She's not some pet you can control. Leave her alone!"

Peroxide leaned back in the wheelchair he was lounging in. "We can do whatever we want," he told me icily.

"Not while I'm around!"

Paul burst out laughing. "Hey, Marko, Dwayne – looks like we've got to behave ourselves from now on, buddies. Look who's here to keep us in line!"

I flushed red. "You disgust me," I snarled.

Marko smirked and looked away, his storm-grey eyes amused. He thought this was funny? What a sick sense of humour!

"You can't treat people this way!" I told Peroxide, glaring at him.

He laughed. "Haven't I already told you that we can do what we want? That friend of yours wasn't so hard to convince."

The thought of Tara made my insides boil. "What about her?" I asked, standing up.

The dark haired one – Dwayne – chuckled. "We've been planning a little something for her."

Something tightened in my chest. "And what exactly is that _something_?"

Marko looked at me. "You'll see," he said.

"I thought you liked her?"

He gave a derisive snort. "She'll believe anything as long as it's what she wants to think. So will most people, actually."

I tried to stop myself from feeling smug. "That's harsh."

Paul raised his eyebrows at me. "The world's harsh. Haven't you realized that by now?"

"No?" asked Peroxide when I didn't answer. "You'll find out soon enough, anyway. And sit down – you haven't finished your rice." He smirked.

I was about to tell him exactly where he could shove that rice, when I caught something in his eyes that made me freeze.

"I've got to go," I said as his ice-blue irises flashed gold.

"Mummy want you home now?" said Paul mockingly.

I was heading for the door when Peroxide grabbed my arm. "Not so fast. Relax. We'll get you home on time," he said smoothly.

I felt for the stake in my jacket. How many of them could I take down before I was killed? Probably two, I decided. And by the look in their eyes they were pretty darned hungry.

Was there anything that could get me out of here alive? "I'm going to tell Tara you're after her," I said. "She'll call the police."

The gold in his eyes faded.

"Really? Well, this'll be fun." He released my arm. "You go and tell her that, then."

I stood there in shock. Had it really been that easy? Were they really that eager to play with their food that they'd just let me go? I cast one, deferential look at Marko before I bolted. None of them followed me as I ran into the night.

But their laughter rang in my ears the whole way home.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! All my thanks to ArchadianRose, Sarah Jackson-The Other, kittykat6625, Plainsong30, and Nikel's lover for reviewing the last chapter.  
>Here's the next one - I hope you enjoy it.<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 3: Falling for you . . . like the idiot I am<span>

_Just tell her, Allie._

"Tara, I . . . I've got to tell you something. It's about Marko."

She stood glaring at me. "I don't care what you say about him, Allie. You're just jealous. He loves me."

"But he doesn't! He's a . . . a . . . oh for fuck sake, how should I put this?" I muttered.

"I told you, you're not my friend anymore. Leave me alone."

"I didn't come all the way to the boardwalk at midnight for you to ignore me." I told her angrily.

"And I didn't come here to be bombarded with a load of your crap."

_Just do it before it's too late. _"OK, if you want to die, then that's up to you. But . . . they're vampires! All of them."

She looked at me, her cold brown eyes opening so wide they almost fell out of her face. And then she started laughing. "Oh, Allie, you make me laugh! What a load of crap you're full of!"

I gritted my teeth. "I'm serious. They're going to kill you."

But the bitch wouldn't shut up. "Yeah, yeah. At least it's original, I suppose. You could've told me he was cheating on me. But I know that he loves me, and you can't take that away. Not even by lying to me."

"You know what? I give up. I give up!"

I stalked away from her, muttering a long string of things that would get me told off if I ever repeated them. How _dare _she not believe me? Oh well. It's her life, I suppose. It's not my problem if she gets her throat ripped out.

I was just walking into the beach when I bumped into someone. Literally.

"Watch it," Marko snapped.

I gasped. "What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

He stared at me. "Oh, sorry. Is this your beach? I didn't realize."

"Funny. I applaud you for your wittiness."

He watched me glaring at him for a second, and then he smiled and looked away.

"What?" I asked sceptically.

"Nothing. Want to come for a walk with me . . . Allie?"

_Or not, bloodsucker._

I stood there gaping for a second. "Uh . . . OK?"

He smirked.

He started walking again and looked back when I didn't. "Well what're you waiting for? The grass to grow?"

"There isn't any grass here," I said stupidly, running to catch him up. "It's a beach."

"It's called a figure of speech."

". . . Oh. Yeah, I know."

He shook his head incredulously and we fell into silence. His wide grey eyes were sparkling with starlight, stormier than the ocean waves beside us.

"What?" he asked when he caught me looking.

"Uh . . . nothing. Well, actually, I was wondering where your . . . _friends _are."

He shrugged. "I'm just having some alone time. Get away for a while, if you know what I mean."

I nodded. "Yeah, I do."

He looked away.

"Y'know, you're beautiful." I blurted out.

He turned back to me and stared as if I'd turned into an alien or something. Seconds passed as we watched each other.

I twisted away to face the sea, embarrassed again. It shone like the facets of a million diamonds, each fragment sparkling and dizzying. Just like his eyes. But they didn't look like that all the time, did they? I reminded myself. Not when he was out murdering innocents.

"What are you thinking?" Marko asked quietly.

"I . . . nothing."

"I won't laugh." He promised.

_No, you'll just kill me instead._

I shook my head. "My head is my head. Get out of it."

He looked at me, the strangest expression on his face. "So . . . I'm beautiful am I?"

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking straight."

"That's OK. I think you have great taste."

I laughed. "Me too – _shit!"_

My foot caught a loose pebble and I flew face-first to the sand, stretching out my arms to break my fall. A hand grabbed the back of my jacket and jerked me upright again.

"You'll break your wrists if you stick your hands out like that," he told me seriously.

"Oh, so I suppose I should let my face get smashed into a pulp instead? Thanks, anyway. For catching me."

"No problem. But if you put your hands out like this . . ." he demonstrated for me. "Then you won't break anything. Or smash your face up."

"I'll bear that in mind next time I'm flying towards to ground." I said sarcastically.

"Good-o."

"So . . . why did you ask me to walk with you?"

He shrugged. "Why not?"

"That's really annoying, you know." I told him.

"What is?"

"Answering my question with another one. My mum does that all the time."

He shrugged again and didn't look at me.

"Well, are you going to answer my question?" I asked. "Or are you just going to leave me hanging?"

"I've already answered it."

I sighed and looked away from him. What was I thinking? Here I was, on a beach, talking to a vampire. A _vampire. _And, strangely . . . I wasn't even freaked out. I should be. I should be running away as fast as my clumsy legs could carry me – but again, I wasn't.

"The other night," I began, staring at the ground, "did you mean what you said? About Tara?"

"What about her?"

"You said you didn't like her. Is that true? Or were you just saying that . . . ?" I trailed off.

"No, I meant it. She's just after . . . 'a little fun,' as she put it." He snorted.

I clenched my fists. "And . . . did you give it to her?"

"Yeah, I did."

I had to stop myself from punching something. Why was I angry? I should've expected it. The vampire man whore – who would've known?

"I was joking!" he said, looking warily at my expression.

"Oh," I barely managed to choke out.

Relief washed through me – as strong and as violent as the crashing ocean beside us. But I shouldn't have been relieved. Hell, I shouldn't have _needed _to be. Why get angry and jealous over something you don't care about?

_But you do care, _a tiny voice in the back of my mind told me – tiny, but hard to ignore. _You care about him a lot. _

_Shut up, _I told the voice.

Was I mad? Listen to me, arguing with myself . . . and losing. Over something entirely ridiculous, too. I shouldn't have to even _consider _my feelings for a vampire. For goodness' sake, I was meant to kill him. I _had _to kill him. Before he killed the person I hated most . . . although, I have to admit that the temptation to wait until he did just that was almost overwhelming. But I had to remember my morals. _Truth, justice, and the American way. _That was out motto. The rule that governed our every action . . . we'd made a whole list of rules, too, me, Alan and Edgar. The law we lived by, us vampire hunters. In the last week I'd probably broken most of them. Even now I was probably breaching about ten of them. But screw the friggin' law; I was going to Hell anyway. I might as well enjoy the journey.

I was dragged back into the real world by the sound of Marko's voice. "Does it matter to you? Whether I was joking or not?"

It took me a few seconds to gather my scrambled thoughts. "A little, I suppose." I admitted.

"Why?"

"Why not?" I asked, copying his earlier initiative to avoid awkward questions.

He glared at me. "You didn't answer my question."

"And you didn't answer mine, so we're even."

He caved. "OK – I'll answer yours if you answer mine."

I gave a smug smile. "Shake on it?"

He took my hand, sealing the deal – but didn't let go when he'd finished. His fingers twisted through mine and we were holding hands.

"Well . . ." I said, my voice quiet and slightly embarrassed. "I guess this sort of answers your question. Now you know. Go ahead – laugh. I don't care."

I gestured to our entwined hands, and he smirked.

"I'm not going to laugh. And by the way . . . the answer to _your_ question is pretty obvious."

"Oh. Right. Well . . . that's a relief, I suppose." I gushed.

What was I thinking? _He's a bloodsucker, Allie! Get your head on straight before he rips it off._

Tara had fallen into the same trap . . . and yet here I was, being an even bigger idiot than she was. I'd just proven that the impossible was possible. Well done, Allie! You have just officially signed your death warrant.

"Y'know what? I'd better be getting home now." I said, still painfully aware of the fact that my hand was in his.

He smirked. "Nervous?"

"Don't be stupid, Marcus."

He frowned. "It's Mar –"

"I know, I know. I was kidding. But I really should be getting back . . ."

He regarded me for a second, and then took his hand out of mine. I was about to protest, when he stepped forward and put his hands on my waist.

And kissed me.

And boy, was it a kiss. I thought all that crap about the fireworks going off in your head and all that was . . . well, crap. But the fireworks in my head were real alright. Or maybe it was just the warnings I was screaming at myself. Either way, it was, and always would be, the best kiss of my life. His lips were soft and fierce at the same time – if that was even possible. It was bliss. Pure bliss.

_How can something so wrong be so . . . right?_

Hm. I'd have to think about that one if my head ever worked properly again. But for now I would just enjoy myself . . .

Marko pulled away. "Is this the part where I get slapped?" He asked cheerfully.

I was too stunned to speak, so I just shook my head. I only realized a minute later when he was frowning at me that I was still shaking my head like an idiot.

And then something caught my eye as it rocketed through the cosmos. "Look!" I gasped. "It's a shooting star!"

"Make a wish," said Marko sarcastically.

I pretended to think for a minute. "I wish that my mum won't kill me when I get back late."

He laughed and put his arm round me. "I think you're in luck," he whispered in my ear, "I've brought my bike. Want a ride home?"

_No. Say no!_

"Yes, please. If that's OK with you," I added seriously.

He rolled his eyes. "Why would I have asked if it wasn't?"

I just blushed and looked down as he led me back to his motorcycle. The sudden flare from the shooting star still hadn't faded. The stars were . . . brighter? Was that possible? I squinted as I stared upwards. Yes, they were. And as I looked back at the ocean, I noticed that it was, too. More beautiful.

But not as beautiful as him.

_Oh shut up, you old sop. _I scolded myself.

"Allie?" said Marko. "Allie, you're home now."

I'd barely noticed that the roar of his bike had stopped. I clambered stiffly to the ground, almost tripping. "Thanks," I told him.

"No problem," he grinned, climbing off after me.

He kissed me again before I could even open my mouth. I wrapped my arms securely around his neck, completely oblivious to the fact that we were in sight of my house.

My house . . .

I jerked my head back. "How do you know where I live?"

He blushed and tried to kiss me again, but I moved away. "_How do you know where I live?" _I asked again.

He hesitated, and then sighed. "I . . . was curious."

"You spied on me!" I asked incredulously.

"I didn't _spy_ . . ."

"Am I meant to be flattered or offended? 'Cause I'm dangerously close to falling into the 'offended' category."

He blushed. "Sorry."

I narrowed my eyes. "Apology . . . accepted."

_He could've killed me. But he didn't. _I was ecstatic at the thought. Maybe he _did _like me after all . . .?

_SHUT UP!_

"Thanks," he grinned. "Now that's over and done with . . ."

He took me into his arms again and kissed me within an inch of my life. Like a drowning man that couldn't get enough air . . . or so I like to think.

"ALISON TAYLOR, GET IN HERE RIGHT THIS MINUTE YOUNG LADY!"

"Fuck," I whimpered as I stared at my house.

Marko pursed his lips. "Oops. Have I just gotten you in trouble?"

I was too scared to be angry at him. "Yeah. Thanks for that."

But not scared enough to drop my sarcasm, apparently.

"Don't tell me that wasn't worth it," he said.

"Point taken." I sighed. "But we only met like, a week ago, so . . ."

"You're telling me a week is too soon to kiss someone?"

I shrugged. "Anyway, I've got to –"

"I CAN SEE YOU STANDING ON THIS DRIVEWAY, ALLIE, AND I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! YOU HAVE FIVE SECONDS TO GET IN THIS FRONT DOOR . . ."

"Go," I finished weakly.

"That'd probably be a good idea." Marko agreed. "Good luck."

"FOUR . . ."

"Bye," I said, reaching up to peck him on the cheek.

"Mmhm . . ." he muttered as he turned his face to kiss me again.

"THREE . . ."

I pulled away and started running up to the door. "Bye!" I called out.

"TWO . . ."

By the time I looked back, he was already speeding away down the road.

"ONE . . ."

And I could've killed myself right there and then. A vampire. I was in love with a vampire.

And it felt _so _good.

**Review? :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! Thanks to Markolvr, Tristian, Plainsong30, kittykat6625, crimsonsky132, and Nyappy PYON for reviewing the last chapter. Much appreciated :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 4: Friend or foe<span>

"Mum, I'm almost seventeen." I said in a calm, soothing voice. "And it's not like . . . it's not like we were doing anything inappropriate! For crying out loud, all we did was _kiss –"_

"Allie, how many times have I spoken to you about this? You're too young to make any decisions about your love life yet." She gave me a hard stare.

"Why didn't you tell me this yesterday, when I came home? Instead of just yelling at me. I mean, just because Dad divorced you –"

Mum's face turned bone-white. "This is _not _about your father," she whispered.

If looks could kill, I'd be dead as a doornail. But I mustered up the small amount of courage I'd saved for this moment, and stared her in the eye, willing myself to say what I'd been dying to for years. "Yes it is, and you know that just as well as I do. I'm not you, Mum. I'm not you and I don't make rash decisions for the hell of it. And I certainly don't hook up with a guy and get pregnant because he tells me my hair looks nice, or whatever stupid pick-up line Dad used on you."

Mum let out a howl like a wounded animal and charged at me. I had just enough time and sense to leap out of her way before she passed right through the place where I'd been standing – and into the wall.

Her head made a hollow _thunk _as it smashed against the plaster. She slumped to the floor, and an iron fist clenched my heart as a trail of crimson dripped from her forehead and onto the floor.

"Mum?" I whispered. "Mum, can you hear me?"

No answer.

I quickly bent down and checked her pulse, before I ran to the phone. Should I call an ambulance? Would she be OK if I just left her? Would I _risk _that?

No. No, I wouldn't.

* * *

><p>Santa Carla's hospital was far enough away to have me panicking when the ambulance didn't arrive straight away. I kept checking Mum's breathing, her pulse, her temperature . . . and then I had to explain what had happened to the nurses and doctors looking after her.<p>

"She . . . hit her head on a wall."

The nurse gave me a strange look. "And how did she do that?"

"She, uh . . . charged me. And missed." I admitted weakly.

"Why did she do that?"

I glared at her. "_That's _none of your business."

"Miss Taylor?" a doctor in a bright white apron stepped into the waiting room. "You can come and see your mother now, if you'd like."

"She's awake?"

"No, she'll be unconscious until tomorrow; we had to keep her asleep while we stitched up her head wound."

A wave of relief rushed through me, immediately followed by a surge of guilt. "Oh. OK, then." I guess I didn't have to deal with her rage yet, after all.

I got up and followed him out of the room.

"Coming through! Coming through!"

I jumped to the side as a battalion of nurses and doctors wheeled a stretcher through the narrow corridor, pushing it as fast as the small wheels would allow.

A glance at the stretcher sent my heart into overdrive.

"Wait!" I called as they rushed past, reaching for the nearest nurse. "Wait, I know her!"

But they didn't listen.

I was left standing in the hallway alone, my hand still outstretched, my mind still frozen on the picture of the girl's pale face staring blankly up at the ceiling. I could see the dark patches of dried liquid on her body as clearly as I could see the wall in front of me. It was Tara. Tara was in hospital, hovering on the boundaries of life and death.

And it was all my fault.

I ran out the hospital doors, my palms sweating and my mouth dry. My breath rattled as I inhaled. Please, please, get that picture out of my head! I couldn't bear it. Not when it was my fault.

My fault . . .

I'd trusted him. Trusted the lot of them with a life they couldn't keep. If I'd went to the cave . . . killed them . . . then maybe a human life wouldn't've been wasted. If only I'd listened to Alan and Edgar and destroyed them as soon as I could. But no. I had to trust the vampires. And now someone else was going to be rotting away in the Santa Carla cemetery, lost and long forgotten, the victim of brutal, terrifying monsters . . .

Tara was a complete and utter moron, but she didn't deserve to that. No one did.

Except, perhaps, for four bikers that _were _going to die. Soon. As soon as I could find a stake sharp enough to drive through their rock-solid hearts, and when the first touch of daylight came over the horizon. Then, they would die. And I would be the one to kill them.

I was barely aware of my feet hammering down on the hard tarmac road. But I was more than aware of my heart which was beating ten times as hard as I ran up my street.

My legs came to a halt as I rounded the corner to my driveway.

Until I'd seen the figure stood outside my house, sitting casually on my doorstep like there was nothing wrong in the world, I'd never been more scared in my life. Now it might be the last time I would have the chance to be afraid.

"Allie," grinned Marko, standing up and walking slowly over to me. "I thought you'd never come. I've been waiting here for _ages."_

I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe.

Marko frowned. "Allie? Are you OK? You're as white as a corpse." He chuckled quietly to himself.

"_You!" _I screeched, pointing at him, unable to think of anything bad enough to say. "You killed her! You killed Tara!"

He sobered up pretty quick. All of a sudden the easy-going smile had vanished from his face, the hard lines of a cold mask in its place. "What makes you think that?"

"Ha!" I snorted, hysterical. "_Ha! _What makes me think that? Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that you're a bloodsucking _vampire! _I would say that's reason enough, wouldn't you?"

The pretence of faked lack of knowledge fell away from his face, like a snake shedding its skin to reveal what's really underneath. "Allie, that was a very bad thing to say."

My heart dropped like a stone. "Was it? And why is that?"

I started to slowly – and hopefully imperceptibly – circle around him, to my front door.

"Y'know, I was kind of hoping I wouldn't have to kill you." He shook his head as if he meant it. "How long have you known, anyway? Most people don't figure it out 'til we're ripping their heads off."

He laughed out loud, and I cringed. "I've known for a while, actually. Since before . . . the other night."

His face showed pure surprise. "And . . . you still kissed me?"

"I think I was probably drunk. Very drunk at that, seeing as anyone in their right mind would stay away from you."

He shook his head incredulously. "I've never met anyone like you. Making jokes in the face of death . . ."

"More like in the face of an imbecile," I sneered, trying to keep my voice level. No need to start crying like a baby before I was ripped to shreds.

He glared at me. "Shall we just get it over with? It'd be easier to do this quickly . . ."

Well, there's a relief.

"I'm not going to die." I told him resolutely.

He sighed. "If you come without a struggle, I won't draw it out. Sound fair to you?"

I snorted. Right. Like I was just going to walk over to him and give him what he wanted. No . . . if I was dying, then I was going in true Alison-Taylor-style.

So I did the first thing that came to my mind. I charged him.

If I hadn't been in such a dire situation, I would've laughed out loud at the look of astonishment on Marko's face. Not that I could blame him. He'd probably been anticipating what I'd been about to do as much as I had.

"Aaaargghh!" I yelled as I slammed my fist into his chest. "Take _that, _you filthy bloodsucker! Haha!"

Marko fell to the ground, still stunned.

I stood there, panting heavily, looking down at him with the bravest expression I could conjure up on my face. And then I ran to the door screaming.

As soon as I'd opened the door he was on me, dragging my legs back. Just like before. I threw all my weight into launching myself into the house, still half outside, Marko's growls reverberating in my head as I tried to claw my way back inside.

In a split-second's decision I grabbed an umbrella from the stand next to my face and started to whack it repeatedly over Marko's head.

He looked up at me, his eyes glowing gold, his incisors sharp and pointed.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I screeched, jabbing him in the eye with the umbrella. "Get off me! Let go, you bastard!"

He flinched as I whacked him round the head again, and grabbed a sharp stone from the ground. I realized what he was going to do a second too late. The pebble hit my forehead with astonishing speed, and my eyes rolled back into my head for a short moment before I was blinking them open again.

Disoriented, I reached up to touch my forehead; blood was gushing down my face, drenching my pale blouse. I just hoped that I didn't faint.

But it didn't really matter, in the end.

It was clear to both of us who was winning. I was clinging onto the doorframe for dear life – and I mean that literally – and Marko obviously knew he was looking at this evening's supper. His lips were curled up at the edges in a malicious sneer. I gritted my teeth and prepared to do the thing that would most likely get me killed.

I jumped out the door and shoved my mouth against his.

For a second he froze, and then his lips started moving with mine in a violent passion, erasing all rationality from my mind.

Well, most of it.

After a second I pulled away, smirking at him. And then I punched him in the eye with as much force as I could muster. He let out a howl and released my leg, and I jerked away from him, leaping for all I was worth.

And I was safe.

I lay, gasping, across the doormat, staring wide-eyed at the vampire trying to break into my house.

Marko glared at me, his eye already starting to swell. "Invite me in," he demanded.

"I don't think you hit my head hard enough, bloodsucker. I'm not as stupid as I look."

Wow. How easy it was to have a conversation with the person who was trying to kill me, when he was stuck outside my door.

His eyes turned wide and innocent. "Allie, please. I'm sorry. Please let me in."

"Oh, go on then . . ." I muttered, sighing. "You're . . . _not invited. _Ha. Haha! Suck on that, sucker!"

He gritted his teeth. "You'll regret that."

"No, I won't. But you'll regret what you did to Tara."

"It wasn't even me!"

"Of course not. I mean, look at you, the picture of innocence. You'd never hurt a fly!"

"I mean it!" he said. "Now let me in!"

"When hell freezes over," I retorted.

"Allie, I would never hurt you. And I didn't hurt Tara either, for that matter. I . . . I love you, Allie." His eyes were slightly too wide to make me believe him.

"You have a funny way of showing it. I suppose you try to kill most people you love, too?"

"That was a mistake."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, anyone could make it. I guess you just had a lot on your mind."

"Allie, I'm begging you."

I scowled. "I don't want to kill you, but I will if you don't leave me alone. I mean it."

"Please."

I stood up and slammed the door in his face. The image of Tara was starting to creep back into my mind, poisoning my thoughts. I would've given my life at that moment to know whether she was going to be OK. She didn't even look like she was breathing . . .

_Shut the hell up. You're just making it worse._

I made up my mind in a split second. I grabbed the phone and dialled the number running through my head.

"Hello?" a familiar voice greeted me.

"Edgar? It's Allie."

"What's up?"

"Are you up for some vampire slaying? 'Cause I know where they are."

Silence.

"Meet outside the store at eleven. Sharp."

I grinned. "Excellent."

And then I hung up.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! So thanks to xdanceinside, Markolvr, kittykat6625, ArchadianRose, and Plainsong30 for reviewing. You guys really made my day :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 5: Change of heart<span>

I sliced my knife repeatedly up the stake, watching as curled wood shavings fell to the floor. Alan and Edgar were making their own beside me. Their eyes were blazing with a determination that was diluted, somewhat, by the fear that was evident in the way their hands shook and how their breath came in ragged gasps.

My own determination had no such boundaries. I was dead-set on killing each and every one of them . . . except Star. I wasn't going to kill the innocent.

I pocketed my knife. "You ready?" I asked them, watching their faces for any signs of second thoughts.

"As I'll ever be," replied Alan.

I nodded. "Good. 'Cause there's no backing out now. We've got to strike while the iron's hot."

They both followed as I stood up and walked out the comic store into the dimmed light of an overcast day.

"D'you know how to drive?" Edgar asked me, his mouth pulled down at the corners in a sort of grimace.

"Well enough to get us there. And hey, don't worry about anything. This'll be easy."

He nodded. "My parents' car is in the parking lot."

He threw me the keys. "C'mon then," I said. "We'd better get going or it'll be dark before we can get there."

Soon enough we were parked outside the corroded metal fence and were stood outside with our stakes gripped firmly in our hands.

"Who's going in first?" asked Alan warily.

He gave Edgar a worried glance.

"Oh please," I scoffed. "I'll go, if it makes you feel better."

I stepped inside, trying to look brave. But inside my courage was starting to wither and die. Who was I kidding? Like the three of us were going to be able to take on four fully-fledged vampires.

"Let's hurry," I whispered once we were all stood inside.

They nodded, seemingly incapable of speech. At least I wasn't the only one who was terrified. We all knew that it wasn't going to be as easy as I'd said it was going to be.

_Too late now, _I told myself quietly. _And what about Tara?_

The thought alone made my legs move. But I was hardly able to stifle the scream in my throat. Oh God, I felt horrible. My whole body was quaking. My eyes darted back and forth over the stone walls, looking for a way out but finding none. Why had I come here? What seemed like a brilliant idea before now seemed silly and absurd. There was no guarantee that any of us would make it out alive.

"Come on. We've got to find them," Edgar murmured in my ear.

"Yeah," I muttered. "Let's get this over with."

"There's only one problem – where are they?" Alan gave me a contemptuous look.

"Hey, don't go blaming me. Look for them yourself, 'cause I'm the one who brought us here."

I walked off and scanned the walls for any clues to the vampires' whereabouts.

"Over here! I think I've found something!" Edgar called.

"You think they're in there?" I gave the small hole he was pointing at a disdainful glance.

"There's a draught . . . can't you feel it?"

I stuck my hand in the opening and my throat closed. There was a draught all right. "Yeah. Good one, Ed."

I braced myself and knelt by the gap, crawling through. The stake underneath my jacket was jerking painfully in my side. My heart was pounding loudly in my ears, hot and fast and furious. It sped ahead of the world around me. In slow motion, I pulled myself through the tunnel and looked around.

Nothing. "They're not here, guys."

Alan heaved himself out after me. "You sure?"

"I can't see them. Let's go . . ." muttered Edgar, standing upright.

I reached for the flashlight in my pocket and turned it on. The beam of light was uninterrupted as I shone it along the grey walls.

"Nothing here." I sighed, relieved. "C'mon, guys." I lay down on my back to crawl back through the hole.

And screamed.

Four dark figures hung upside-down on rafters along the high ceiling. My heart flew up into my mouth. I felt a hand being clamped over my mouth, and saw Edgar leaning over me.

"Shhh! Do you want to get us all killed?" he hissed.

"Sorry!" I gasped through his fingers.

I crawled back up onto my feet and shakily drew out my stake. "Which one's going first?" I asked quietly.

"The small one," replied Alan. "First come, first staked!"

"That really isn't funny."

He looked at me and smiled wryly. "Just in case we don't survive this, Allie . . ."

Alan pressed his lips to mine, and I froze.

"What the hell was that about?" I choked out once he moved away.

Edgar shook his head, disgusted. "It's obvious, isn't it?"

I swallowed guiltily. That was probably the thing I'd least expected Alan to do. Ever. He'd be more likely to kiss Edgar as far as I was concerned.

Who knows, I might not make it out of here alive. I was now counting on that.

"So . . ." Alan looked away, blushing. "Who's gonna kill one first?"

"I will," I volunteered. "And I'm taking out Peroxide, too. If you don't mind. Alan – uh, Edgar, could you give me a hand?"

Edgar complied, and cupped his hands so I could put my foot in them. Alan grimaced. I gripped the stake firmly in my sweaty palms. I could do this, I could do this . . .

I looked at Marko's sleeping face. _C'mon, Allie. You can do this. Don't think about it. _I gritted my teeth, and the stake wobbled in my grip.

"Well, what're you waiting for?" grunted Edgar.

"Give . . ." I cleared my throat. "Give me a minute."

"We don't have a minute!"

"Just _hang on!"_

I blinked back the irrational tears that had gathered in my eyes. What was taking me so long? Just do it! I took a deep breath and held the stake in line with Marko's heart. I tensed my arm . . .

And dropped the stake.

"I can't," I whispered as the stake clattered to the floor.

His breathing was soothing – peaceful, even – as he slept. I wouldn't be the one to stop it. And yet I was supposed to kill him . . . but how could I when I couldn't live without him?

"What are you doing? Kill him already!" growled Edgar.

"I cant," I said again and climbed down. "I can't do it."

Edgar and Alan stared at me incredulously.

"They're bloodsuckers, Allie," reasoned Alan.

Edgar glared at me and snatched the stake off of the floor. "If you're too scared to do it – then I will."

My eyes widened. "No! Don't, don't kill him –"

Edgar slung his pack on the floor and stood on it, aiming the stake. My head was close to bursting. What should I do? Should I . . . should I _stop _Edgar from killing Marko? That was crazy!

Edgar pulled back his arm. "See you in hell, bloodsucker –"

"_NO!" _I screeched and threw myself at Edgar.

We tumbled to the floor, fighting for possession of the stake. A long, drawn-out hiss from above froze both of us.

"Run," I whispered.

There was a flurry of movement, and suddenly the world was reduced to slow-motion. Slower than it was before. Every noise, every scream, was louder in my ears. My heartbeat was rocketing like it was about to grind out of my chest. I couldn't make sense of anything – all I could hear was screaming. All I could see was colour.

And then something slammed into my chest. I stumbled backwards and gasped. Hot liquid rolled down my torso and with it came pain, pain in the form of dark fluid seeping through my sunshine-yellow shirt. It burned. My chest burned.

I saw Edgar and Alan scramble back through the hole – Alan cast me one fearful glance before Edgar pulled him along. I felt like I was looking through a window at what was happening. Like I was detached from my own body. Then hands were on me, iron hands like vices pinning me to the ground. I couldn't move. I tried to breath, but it hurt. My lungs felt like they were being pinched by cold metal tweezers.

I choked on the liquid bubbling up my throat. "Stop – let go – can't breathe –"

Suddenly the weight was wrenched off me, but not before another scalding strength hacked into my chest, sending a lance of pain up to my brain.

I screamed.

"Leave her alone!" a loud voice roared, hurting my eardrums.

An angel's voice.

"Marko . . . ?" I rasped, my eyes closing.

"Shhh, it's OK, I'm here . . ." the voice whispered in my ear.

"_What do you think you're doing?" _someone else yelled. I recognized that voice.

"She tried to save me! She pulled the boy away from me. Get _away _from her!"

I felt myself being pulled away from the other voice. Comforting arms wrapped around me, and a hand stroked my spiked hair.

"She's – she's hurt! You hurt her!" Marko sounded shocked.

Something touched my chest, and I screamed again. A hiss escaped Marko's lips, and my eyes fluttered open to find his face.

"If _you're_ not gonna kill her, at least let me have her." Said a different voice.

Marko tensed beside me.

"It . . . hurts . . ." I whimpered.

"I know, I know . . . hold on in there . . . you'll be OK . . ." he murmured.

I took a last shuddering breath, and felt myself slip into a painless unconsciousness.

**Review? :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey! So thanks to ArchadianRose, xdanceinside, DisneyFreakBuff, kittykat6625, and Bloodrose for all your lovely reviews. Thank you!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 6: Rethinking my morals<span>

My eyelids felt like lead weights as I tried to wrench them open. A sore throbbing stabbed at my chest, as if I'd been punched, only ten times worse. I couldn't remember ever waking up feeling this bad.

I rolled over and groaned, gasping in pain when I hit the floor. What the . . . ? Dazed, I looked around. The dishevelled couch next to me had obviously been what I'd fallen from. A threadbare, patchy carpet spread out under my body.

I was in the cave.

My hazy mind cleared immediately, and I was on my guard. The only source of light came from a lit brazier in the corner of the room, which flickered wildly, casting a rosy red glow across the walls. I couldn't see anyone in the small degree of light.

I started to slowly tip-toe across the room, my eyes on the narrow exit. My injuries were practically forgotten, although my chest wound twinged painfully as it tried to remind me of its presence.

"Where d'you think you're going?"

I tripped on my own feet and tumbled to the ground, letting out a surprised squeal. Marko emerged from the shadows, an unimpressed expression on his face.

"Well?"

"I – I was just . . ." I scowled suddenly. "You can't tell me where I can or can't go!"

"I saved your life," he said simply.

"Yeah, and I saved your –" I clamped my mouth shut before I could say any more.

"About that," he continued casually, "why _did _you save my life? I'm curious."

He offered his hand to help me up, but I ignored it and crawled back up onto my feet despite the fierce protestations from my chest.

"I have my reasons," I told him stiffly.

"And they are?"

"They're none of your business, that's what." I snapped.

"Yes they are."

"No they're not."

"Yes they –"

"Shut up already!" I said, exasperated. "Just because you're a bloodsucker doesn't mean you have the right to the inside of everyone's heads. Honestly!"

His face was blank with shock as he stared at me. Then he burst out laughing, covering his mouth with his hand.

My lips gathered into a pout. I scowled at him, letting my eyes roam his body. He was wearing his colourful clown jacket, as usual – the one that looked good on him despite the patchwork of colours. His hair was loose around his face and hung in perfect blonde curls. The storm-grey of his eyes was strangely appealing to me as I gazed at him.

"What?" he asked, noticing my appraising expression.

"None of your business. Again." I responded curtly.

"You're doing that just to annoy me, aren't you?"

"Doing what?" I asked innocently.

"Oh, I don't know. I wonder!"

I glared at him. "You're so damned sarcastic sometimes! My God, it's like talking to myself!" I said angrily.

"You do that a lot, do you?"

"Well, I – shut the hell up."

He laughed again, and I noticed that his eyes twinkled when he did. Huh. It was _not _funny that I found that cute.

"So, where's your master? Is he still intent on killing me?"

"_David _is actually out hunting. I stayed back to look aft – uh, keep an eye on you."

I tried not to throw up. Hunting . . . and I could've stopped that. The thought made me sick to my stomach.

"Were you about to say _look after? _You were, weren't you?"

Marko's cheeks tinged with red. "Don't be stupid. Of course not."

"Well, at least you're not out killing people. Less lives lost . . ." I mused.

His lips twisted into a sneer. "I'm sure they won't let my share go to waste."

I gripped the edge of the couch, my knuckles white. "That's sick."

He shrugged. "That's life."

"I shouldn't've saved you."

"But you did. And – please answer me this time – why _did _you save me?"

I regarded him. "Because . . . it seemed like the moral thing to do at the time. I guess I was just being stupid. So – now I've answered your question, you've got to answer mine. Why did _you _save _me _last night?"

He wouldn't meet my eyes. "Because I owed it to you."

I felt a surge of disappointment. Somehow, I'd been expecting – or hoping for – a different answer.

"You know that night when you were chasing someone and they escaped to a church?" I asked suddenly.

"Yes?"

"That was me."

He smirked. "I know."

"H-how? Why didn't you kill me, if you knew?"

"I recognized you. David didn't, and you weren't a danger. So what's the point?"

I blinked. "The others wouldn't have looked at it that way, would they?"

He grimaced. "No, probably not."

I felt an illogical smile spread across my face. "Bet I didn't look like such a brilliant vampire-slayer then, did I?"

He laughed. "You _did_ kick me in the face. So you weren't that bad for an amateur."

"Anyway, I'm hardly a vampire-slayer. I've never killed one."

"I figured." He said.

"That's partly why I didn't kill you. 'Cause I thought you still had some good in you. To me, a monster is what you _choose _to be, not what you are."

"That's . . . nice of you." He said. "But I _do_ kill people, Allie. I don't know where that puts me in your books."

I frowned. "Couldn't you . . . choose _not _to kill people?"

"It's not that simple. Would you rather me die of thirst?"

I looked at him. He stared back, his grey eyes spinning with questions, like two glass orbs trying to contain a whole storm. That was something I would have to seriously consider in the future.

"Doesn't last night kind of answer your question?" I said finally. "I'd rather hundreds of people die to protect you, whether that's right or not."

He looked away, and I could feel awkwardness rolling off him in waves. His blush was visible from where I was standing.

"Ignore me," I told him. "I don't know what I'm talking about."

He shrugged and drifted past me to sit down. I followed suit, leaning my head against his shoulder and closing my eyes, exhaling slowly. When his arm snaked around my shoulders, I felt a small smile stretch across my face.

"Do you like me?" I heard myself asking.

Why did I say that? What was _he _going to say?

There was a pause, and then he said: "I . . . do."

"Do you love me?"

I looked at him, and he was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.

Finally he managed to choke out a sentence. "I, uh, don't know what you mean."

"Oh come on! It's a simple question: yes or no. So which is it?"

"I . . . need time to think." He said, forming the words carefully.

"Fine." I shrugged.

A minute of silence went by. And then two. Then three. Four. Five . . .

Marko moved to face me, and touched my hair softly. The spikes had melted out of it, and it was just a dishevelled brown mess.

This time when he kissed me, I didn't punch him afterwards. He leaned carefully on top of me, lips still moving with mine, warm and soft, sending shocks of electricity through my entire body. I wrapped my arms firmly around his neck and let his hands snake up my top. But when they started to unlatch my bra, I pushed him away.

"I think you're getting a bit ahead of yourself," I told him quietly.

He sat up and ran a hand through his hair, smiling smugly. "So you're a virgin?"

"I – I mean – that's a personal question!" I flustered.

"So you _are?"_

"I wouldn't tell you whether I was or wasn't!" I said angrily.

"Fair enough," he said, shrugging.

A thought suddenly occurred to me. "What's Peroxide going to do to me when he gets back?"

Marko frowned. "Who?"

"David," I clarified. "Will . . . will he kill me? For knowing about you?"

"I won't let him if he tries," he said plainly.

"You'd stand up to him like that?"

He snorted. "I'm not entirely spineless you know, no matter what you've read about us. I don't have to obey him."

"Good," I said fervently, "'cause I have a feeling he's the kind of guy who'd drag it out."

Marko grinned. "You've got him down pretty well."

"It's easy to see. He's a creepy guy . . ."

"You have no idea."

I laughed with him, and then cut off abruptly. "What . . . was that?"

He frowned and cocked his head to the side, listening. His eyes widened. "We've got . . . _visitors"_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's note:**_

**Hey guys! Just to let you know . . . I won't be able to update for a while because my laptop (A.K.A the Craptop) hates me and isn't working. I'm using our home computer at the moment but all my FF things are on the Craptop . . . so I can't update. I'm just as peeved as you guys, so feel free to internally curse the world of technology.  
><strong>

**I'll update as soon as my laptop starts working again, which may or may not be in the next decade. But I'm sure I'll find a way which excludes smashing it against the wall :)**

**Anyway, don't hate me. I'm doing my best.**

**~ Emily**


	8. Chapter 8

**So I feel like a computer whiz right now - I got the Craptop working. It may have taken me several hours, but alas! My efforts paid off and I can finally update. Yay! Anyway, thanks to all you guys who have reviewed, you are truly awesome and I adore you :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 8: You only live once<span>

I threw a cautious glance over the back of the couch. Ridiculously loud whispers echoed into the cave as dark shadows played across the walls, flickering in the firelight.

Marko frowned and shoved my head down.

"Ow! What was that for?" I hissed angrily.

"Stay there," he said, ignoring me.

He stood up from the couch and breezed across the room. My heart was pumping furiously inside my ribcage, fighting against the ice-cold fear that was threatening to embrace and consume it. _Be careful . . . _an internal voice whispered over the drums in my chest.

"Who's there?" Marko's voice was strong and unafraid, and it melted some of the ice inside me.

Another piercing whisper split the atmosphere, and then all was silent. A long branch of pointed wood rolled into the cave.

My heart stuttered. "No," I breathed.

I launched myself off the couch and across the room, placing myself in front of Marko.

"Please," I whispered to him, "don't hurt them. They just want to help me. Please."

Marko looked at me.

"Them?" he snapped. "Who's 'them?'"

"Please!" I said again, my voice cracking over the word. "Edgar and Alan. They . . . they don't know what they're doing."

Marko let out a hiss. His perfect face whitened, and then his eyes grew dark, flashing with all the rage and anger of a breaking storm.

"It's definitely them?" He asked, his lips curved into a smile of wicked pleasure.

"No! You can't kill them!"

"They left you for dead," he said bitterly.

"But I'm not dead, I'm alive. I'm fine. Just don't . . ."

Marko's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me, searching my face for a contradiction to my words.

"I can't just let them keep coming here," he said finally, apology scribbled over every feature on his face.

"Please!" I sobbed, falling to the ground. My knees hit the floor with a dull thud. "I'll tell them to –"

"_Aaaarrrgghhh!" _

A dark, stocky form flew past me and rolled across the floor, accompanied by shots of cool liquid. Another silhouette jumped across me.

Beside me, Marko let out a roar of pain.

I whipped round, my eyes widening as they fell upon Marko crouched on the floor, clutching his face, which was now riddled with grooves and holes. Blood poured profusely from the wounds.

Comprehension dawned. Another jet of liquid spurted past me and splashed against Marko, who let out another wail.

"No!" I shrieked, and before I could even think about what I was doing, I flung myself at the nearest silhouette.

Alan wriggled beneath me as I tackled him to the floor, a blur of dark shadows.

"What –" he grunted, trying to throw me off. "Allie – what the? – run – we've got him!"

"No!" I yelled again, pummelling him with my fists. "He's OK! Don't hurt him!"

Someone grabbed my arms and hauled me away from Alan.

"Allie, come on! The car – get in the car!" Edgar shouted in my ear.

"No, I want to stay – I don't want to –"

Edgar was pulled off me, and I saw Marko tackling him from behind. It didn't really matter who lost or won at that point – someone I loved was going to be leaving me, I was sure of that. Unless . . .

I scrunched up my face in determination, and ran forward to do the one and only thing that had a chance of saving either of them. I punched Marko in his already bloodied face and dragged Edgar away.

"RUN!" Alan yelled, his voice hoarse. "OUTSIDE! GET OUTSIDE!"

And, with tears streaming down my face, I ran.

* * *

><p>Dawn was fast approaching. The sky was ringed with gold, touched by a faint pink light, mingling with the distant blue. Fading stars dotted the heavens, sprinkled like glitter across paper.<p>

Edgar was driving the car with careful concentration. Alan's arm was draped over my shoulders, and his eyes and hair were darker than I'd ever seen them. I didn't protest against the ridiculous sign of affection.

"Stop," I croaked when we were nearing the long stretch of black tarmac leading into town.

Edgar slowed, but didn't halt. "Why?"

"I'm getting out."

Beside me, Alan jerked. "What? We're not there yet."

"I know. Just stop."

Edgar pulled over, eyeing me strangely as I kicked the door open.

My face was drawn as I turned to him. "I'll see you later."

"Wherever you're going, just make sure you're back before it's dark."

"Yeah. Whatever."

I slammed the door and marched away from the car. It was with supreme effort that I didn't burst into tears right then and there. But I was sure that if they saw me break down like that, there wasn't a chance of me getting any alone time. And right now, I wanted to be alone. Needed to be alone.

As soon as the car had disappeared across the hazy stretch of road, I sunk onto the ground and buried my face in my hands. A single tear ran into my palms. But no one was here to see it. So that was OK.

I sat there like that until I lost track of time. A dark blue had started to stretch across the sky by the time I started to head home.

My feet felt like they could've fallen off by the time I reached the edge of town. I let out a loud whoop and stopped underneath a streetlamp to catch my breath, clutching at my side.

I looked up, expecting to see stars, but dark storm clouds were obscuring the sky. I frowned. Just as I'd started to walk again, I was knocked to the ground by someone barging past me. I gasped as they crashed to the floor with me.

"_He's there!"_

I stared, dazed, as a group of four men sprinted up to me. The person beside me tried to stand up and run, but fell again. A dark-haired man from the group marched forward and pulled a gun from his pocket. I lay invisible on the ground.

I grasped what was happening too late. A deafening crack filled the air. A gunshot. I turned wildly to stare at the person who'd knocked me over – just in time to watch him fall to ground, a dark stain spreading out over the front of his pale shirt. He was young – only a few years older than me. And now . . . his eyes barely registered the pain before they rolled back into his head.

As the body toppled to the floor, I heard a scream. A second later I realized it was my own. And then I couldn't stop. More shrieks clawed their way up my throat, until my windpipe felt like it was being sandpapered.

"C'mon! Let's get _outta _here!"

I heard footsteps rush past me as I lay there, shaking on the ground. And then all was silent. No one coming to help. No ambulance. Nothing.

There was a loud rumble as the first drops of rain splashed against my forehead. And then they were hammering viciously against the sidewalk, like miniature bullets pummelling steel.

I crawled over to the boy, trembling so much I could hardly feel for the pulse in his neck. His breath came in quiet, rattling gasps.

"Help . . ." I croaked, watching with wide eyes as the bloodstain grew steadily bigger. There was a small, circular hole in the centre of his chest. "HELP! SOMEONE HELP US!"

Still nothing.

I grabbed hold of the man's hand and willed him to live. The blood on the floor started to drift away with the rain. I looked around frantically, but no one was rushing towards us. Just empty pavements to both sides . . . vacant buildings . . . blank windows . . .

"SOMEONE HELP . . ."

I screamed and yelled until my throat was hoarse, giving a defeated gasp before I crumpled to the wet floor. At least I was here . . . at least I'd tried . . . right?

Too bad it wasn't enough. The man's pulse slowed as I pressed my ice-cold fingers against his neck. Rain splattered against my face as I watched from a distance at what was happening.

"Help . . ." I murmured again and again, until I wasn't even conscious I was saying the words.

I stared at the crimson blood covering my hands and arms, desperate to give the broken body beside me one last shot at life. Funny, how everything can be taken from you in a split second. How life could be so easily snuffed out, like a candle. It was so delicate . . . so effortlessly stamped out. Maybe that's why it's so precious.

Because you only live once.


	9. Chapter 9

**So thanks to: allqua, tetisheri, DarkFireAngel00 and kittykat6625 for reviewing. You guys are what keeps this fic going :P**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 9: It is the way it is<span>

I heard the footsteps just before my mind shut down completely. I struggled to keep my eyelids open. Something touched my arm, and then started to lift my body with surprising ease.

"Help . . . he's hurt . . . they shot him . . . help us . . ."

There was no answer.

The man's cold, white hand slid out of mine. I groped for it in the dark. "No . . . help him . . ."

"There's nothing you can do for him now," came the ugly truth.

I recognized that voice. ". . . Marko?"

"It's me."

"We need to help him."

"He's dead."

I refused to believe it. "No."

This time he didn't say anything. He seemed . . . angry at me? I felt it in the stiffness of his limbs, the way he handled me. I didn't even realise that he was going to take me back to the cave. Not until I was on the back of a motorcycle did I understand what was happening. But even then I didn't object. I'd only left in the first place to save him, anyway.

The stiff, scratchy fabric of one of the cave's couches rubbed against my face as I was set down. I tried to move my lips and ask for help. The words wouldn't come when I called for them. But I decided that I'd done my best, even if it wasn't enough. None of us were perfect. We couldn't always be the hero. So I felt a tiny part of the weight on my shoulders abate, enough for me to fall away from the rest of this cold, miserable world.

I opened my eyes to find Marko sitting on the end of the couch by my feet. This didn't bother me. In fact . . . I couldn't feel anything at all.

"You know, I've never seen a dead person before." I said in a vague sort of voice, like I was commenting on the weather.

Marko looked at me, his face blank. "Did it bother you?"

What an odd question. "I couldn't help him . . ."

"Did it bother you?" he repeated patiently.

"Yes. It was my fault . . . I could've got help. I didn't."

He smiled. "Funny, how people always blame things like that on themselves. You've got to learn that things are the way they are. You can't change that. So why care? Let it go."

"Have you always thought that way?"

"I can't remember."

I looked at the scowl on his face and sighed. "But you were human once. Whether you remember it or not."

"Human is a very loose term."

"Would you apply it to yourself?"

"I'm a vampire."

It was my turn to glare. "You can't always have been like that. The thought of killing would have bothered you before, whatever your moral reasons are now."

"I can't remember, so I wouldn't know."

"I suppose . . . that that's fair enough."

He nodded, and let the conversation drop.

"Are you angry at me?" I asked after a long while.

He looked at me, as if sizing me up. And then he glanced away and spoke quickly, tripping over his words in his effort to get them out.

"You left with them and you didn't even care about me. After you'd said all those things to me, said that you . . . _felt that way _about me . . . you just left me. What am I meant to make of that? That you were lying? That you changed your mind? Realized that I'm not human, and that I can't be exactly the way you want me to be?"

I stared at him, shocked. "Of course I care."

"Not enough to make you stay. And not more than you care about . . . those humans."

"I went with them because they would have killed you if I hadn't. And I . . . _punched _you so they'd let you go. Which means that I do care about you, whether you think so or not."

"And I'm meant to believe that?" he asked, still not meeting my gaze.

"Well, you'd better believe it, because it's true. I'm not going anywhere without you, and I'm certainly not going to let you get worked up about it."

He smirked, and finally looked at me. "Prove it."

"How?"

"However."

I glared at him, but stayed sitting with my arms folded firmly over my chest.

"You know, you're taking a very long time to prove that you care about me."

"You're pushing you're luck," I warned him.

"You can't push something you don't have."

"Whatever."

"I'm waiting," he told me impatiently, tapping his smiling lips with a finger.

With a scowl set on my face, I crawled to the other edge of the couch and pressed my lips to his. He just shook his head.

"Not good enough," he told me.

"Oh really! How about if I just strip down naked for you, will that be good enough?"

He raised his eyebrows. "Yeah."

"You're shameless!"

He shrugged. "That's not important right now. But if you're not going to prove what you said . . ."

"Don't tempt me."

"Maybe I should just take your clothes off myself," he suggested to himself.

I gasped. "You wouldn't dare."

"You wanna bet?"

"David might – or would – do that, but you wouldn't. I'm not thick. And you're not a pervert. I hope."

Marko smirked and put his hands under my blouse, while I watched him with a firm stare. When I didn't move to stop him, he sighed.

"You win," he muttered.

"As we both knew I would."

"Yeah, yeah."

I smiled and put my hands round his neck, kissing him gently. He didn't let me pull away when I tried. I twisted my hands in his golden hair and pulled him closer to me, trying to close any millimetre of space between us that shouldn't exist.

"Is . . . this proof enough?" I asked breathlessly, trying to gather my scrambled thoughts.

"Almost."

He pressed his lips to mine again and any semblance of rationality I might have had before disappeared. His mouth was firm and gentle at the same time, and guided me to a place I never wanted to come back from.

I never thought that I'd find my own private heaven right in the middle of hell.

"Enjoying yourselves?"

I jerked away from Marko and stared as David, Paul and Dwayne entered the cave. David was in the lead – of course – and was glaring at us with such a fierce anger that I wanted to jump in front of Marko and hide him from it.

"We're going hunting," David informed Marko, pointedly ignoring me.

I flinched, leaning into Marko. Marko put his arm around me in a small gesture of comfort.

"Um . . . Allie, could you stay here until I, uh . . . get back?" Marko asked, looking awkwardly at me.

"She's coming with us."

"What?" I squeaked, staring at David in disbelief.

Marko looked just as astonished. "What's that supposed to mean?"

David sighed, and put on a fake smile. It was the kind of smile you would adopt when trying to explain what two plus two equals to a stubborn three-year-old. "I won't let her stay here by herself. She'll escape."

Marko glared at him. "What if she doesn't want to escape?"

David smiled that stupid smile again. "Marko, she's trying to trick you. Of course she wants to escape. She's scared of us – why else do you think she's trying to get close to you?"

Marko looked down at me questioningly, his eyes guarded.

"Don't listen to a word he says, Marko," I growled. "He's the liar, not me. You know I love you."

David laughed. "See what I mean?"

"Shut up!" I yelled. "You don't know anything! Don't believe him, Marko."

Marko glanced back and forth between David and me, and I gaped. "You do believe me, don't you?" I asked.

Marko stared at the floor, ashamed. "You've got to come, Allie." He said quietly.

"But . . . you won't make me! You won't force me to do anything I don't want to . . . will you?"

"Sorry, Allie."

"I'm not a prisoner!"

Marko looked at me desperately. "I'm sorry."

I glared. "What happened to 'I don't have to obey him,' then?"

David's eyes grew dark, and his lips clamped together as he stared at Marko. I automatically regretted my words.

Marko gazed at me incredulously. A few seconds passed before his stare turned ice-cold. "You're coming with us," he stated frostily.

"I've got to go back home. Everyone will be wondering where I am, so you could come and get me afterwards." I tried.

"No, Allie."

"I don't want to watch you hurt people," I said, my voice cracking at the end.

Marko just shook his head, although I did notice a trace of remorse in his eyes. "You're coming."


	10. Chapter 10

**So thanks to: BigTimeGleek, allqua, tetisheri, DarkFireAngel00 and kittykat6625 for reviewing. It means a lot guys, thanks :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 10: Where it all goes wrong<span>

Rays of moonlight filtered through the gaps in the clouds that lingered above the land like dark omens, and I shuddered when I realized that there wasn't a star in sight. Marko was towing me by the wrist towards the sound of blaring music. Not the hand; the wrist. He was still angry at me. I could feel that as he pulled me up into a tree and shoved me against the trunk, looking out over a group of kids surrounding a bonfire. They were about the same age as me, probably a little older. None of them seemed to be expecting the carnage they were about to witness.

I was trembling with fear; not fear for me, but for the innocent people who were about to be slaughtered right in front of my eyes. And I couldn't bear it. I glared balefully at Marko, who avoided my gaze.

"How could you do this?" I whispered through angry tears.

He didn't even look at me. "We've all got to eat, haven't we?"

I couldn't ignore the cutting, sardonic tone in his voice. How could I let this happen? This was _my _fault.

_Please, God, if you're up there, don't let him kill these people. Don't let him. _I begged silently in my head.

Marko and the rest of the boys waited eagerly for the right moment to strike. I could smell their excitement, and it made me sick. Sick to my stomach. A second went by before I noticed a change. I caught sight of Paul's hand tightening around the branch he was gripping, as he closed his eyes.

When he opened them, I had to hold back a scream. They were glowing gold.

"You're gonna want to see this, Al." He guffawed as he watched his brothers transform into monsters.

I couldn't even say anything. Not when I saw Marko, who looked just as eager to kill as the rest of them. It wasn't supposed to feel this way. Not love. I shouldn't feel like this about him – torn in two and unable to survive being ripped apart.

I yelled and flung myself out of the tree – towards Marko's motorcycle. I hit the ground running and clambered onto the bike as soon as I'd reached it. That was when the screaming started. Unforgiving, agonized shrieks rent the night.

I kick-started the bike without realizing what I was doing, and it bucked underneath me, trying to throw me off. I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle. But I was going to learn. Starting now.

I felt wind that hadn't existed before whip across my face as I sped across the sandy terrain. I didn't know where I was going, apart from _away. _I wished I could've saved those people. But I was a coward. I felt terrible shame bear down upon my shoulders as I rode further and further away.

When I finally reached a road, I tried to brake. But I couldn't. The bike swerved and jerked as I tried to stop. I screamed as it slid across the black asphalt to a halt, crushing my leg in the process. I felt the skin being ripped off my right thigh as I skidded across the road. Pain seared through my body, white-hot, unrelenting and utterly complete. I watched in slow-motion as my own blood was smeared across the tarmac.

There was a dull _thud_ on my head and then everything went black.

* * *

><p>When I opened my eyes, I balked. Everything was white. White walls, white ceiling, even a white bedspread. A machine beside me emitted a monotonous beeping sound every few seconds or so.<p>

I was in a hospital.

And I wasn't alone.

My mother rushed over to me from across the room. She looked rough; her hair looked like it hadn't been washed in days. "Allie!" she said, relieved.

"Mum?" I mumbled, wincing as the word reverberated painfully in my skull.

"Allie, where were you? I was looking everywhere for you . . . and are you OK?"

"I'm fine . . . what happened?"

She looked at me sympathetically. "You went missing fourteen days ago. Remember? Like Tara. And then some people found you by the side of the road and called for an ambulance. You crashed a motorcycle . . . can't you remember anything?""

I racked my brains. A motorcycle . . . missing . . . the crash . . . "Yeah. I can remember." I said finally.

"What happened? Were you . . . kidnapped?"

In a manner of speaking. "No, mum. I got lost. Nothing to worry about. How . . . am I?"

She looked away. "Most of the skin on your right leg was torn off. And part of your arm. There will be . . . scars . . ."

I imagined the burning feeling as my flesh was torn away from my leg, and tears sprang to my eyes. "How bad?" I whispered. "How bad will the scars be?"

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry!"

"How bad?" I repeated.

"They'll be . . . quite bad."

My breath hitched in my throat. Quite bad . . .

"Was it only my arm and leg? Was there anything else?" I murmured, my voice thick with tears.

My mother shook her head, still not meeting my eyes. Her irises were a dark jade, like mine, and were filled with remorse.

"Mum, what aren't you telling me?"

She turned to me, and when she did, tears were sparkling in her eyes. "When you fell off the bike . . . you hit the concrete . . . and your face . . ."

"What happened to my face?" I sobbed, my heart thumping painfully.

"They tried everything they could . . ."

"Show me. Get me a mirror."

She shook her head, silent tears tracing her face.

"_Get me a mirror. _I'll have to see sooner or later anyway. _Let me see."_

Silently, she reached into her handbag and drew out a small pocket mirror. She flicked it open and handed it to me. With my left hand, I raised the glass to my face and stared into it.

"I'm so sorry . . ."

I couldn't reply. The right side of my face was covered in thick, purplish blemishes, from the bottom of my jaw to my cheekbone. The skin was bumpy and uneven, like reptile scales. I reached up and ran my fingers across it. The skin there was shiny and firm.

"I'm hideous," I whispered, letting my hand drop.

"No, honey. You're beautiful."

"No one will ever want me."

My mother didn't respond. I took deep breaths, in through my nose, out through my mouth. Calm. Relax. I can live through this, I just had to accept it . . .

"When can I go home?"

My mother glanced up at my whisper. "Soon, honey. Less than a week. Then you can come home."

"I want to go now. I don't want to stay here."

"Soon, Allie."

I stared into the mirror as my heartbeat slowed with a dreadful conclusion. I'd have to stay this way for the rest of my life. I'd never be the same.

Never.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm so mean to my characters - they never seem to get a break. Oh well. That's the fun of it, I suppose :)<strong>

**PS I'm away until Wednesday evening, so I won't be able to update (unless I can find a source of internet :P) until then. Sorry guys. Don't hate me.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey guys. So thanks to: BigTimeGleekBTR, allqua, DarkFireAngel00, tetisheri, and kittykat6625 for reviewing. I know some of you didn't like the last chapter and I know this is a poor excuse, but I've got a lot on my chest right now and schoolwork is piling up, so everything getting kind of ****** up at the moment. These last two months haven't been the best for me or my stories, so I apologize. I hope things will get back on track soon so I can get my head on straight and start writing properly again. My family's suffered a loss recently and not everyone around me isn't the happiest in the world, which is partially why some of my most recent chapters are a bit weird and depressing. Sorry it's a lame excuse.  
>~ Emily <strong>

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 11: Never change<span>

_Five days later._

Cold droplets of water plunged from the heavy rainclouds above my head, seeping through my hood and melting the spikes in my hair. The sky was like the blackest ink and hovered above me like a blanket of dried blood. Puddles of water stared up at the clouds, icy mirrors the colour of jet.

I was sat on a bench beside an empty road, staring out at the darkness with a vacant expression on my face. My lips were a grimacing line across my jaw. The salty tears on my face mingled with the icy drops falling from the sky.

Shadows from the flickering streetlamps danced across the road, dark silhouettes, casting an eerie, iridescent light over the concrete. There were distant sounds of screaming, and a border of light hovered on the horizon, green, red, yellow; the colours of the boardwalk. My breath fogged in front of me, lingering like a gruesome spectre in the air.

I tended to stay out of the public eye whenever I went out anymore. If I didn't, people stared. They stared at the horrible, reptilian skin covering the right half of my face, distorting my lips into a permanent, frightening grimace. I never looked in the mirror anymore. The sight scared even me, so much, that once I even screamed at my own reflection. That was the first time I'd seen a proper mirror since the accident; I hadn't glanced at one since. When I'd seen Alan and Edgar next, they were frightened, too. I couldn't blame them; but the sight of them flinching away from me when I'd taken my hood down couldn't leave my mind. It was like an everlasting reminder in my head that I would never be the same again.

I looked up when headlights rounded the corner, and a small silver car raced past me, the rain hammering loudly on its roof. The driver glanced at me nervously through the windscreen, and I wondered what they were thinking. What someone would be doing sitting on a bench in the pouring rain? Whether I was nuts?

Five minutes passed in dreary silence. And then another pair of headlights loomed into view; and another straight after, accompanied by hollers and yells. I stared at them defiantly, almost daring fate to make them stop. I wondered how they had managed to get another motorcycle so fast.

They slowed to a halt, and a bitter smile turned up the left side of my face. I heard them approach me, chuckling; I could pick out the most appealing laugh, the one lacking the snide edge of the others. It was that one I focused on as they stopped in front of me.

"Hey, you look like you're enjoying yourself there. Mind if we join you?" Paul's mocking voice asked.

I raised my hand and stuck my middle finger up at him. All the laughing was cut short; someone stepped in front of Paul.

"That wasn't very polite," a snide voice said, as a shadow loomed over me. Peroxide.

I stood up, keeping my head down, and kicked him in the shin, trying to keep the satisfaction away as he flinched. Paul burst out laughing, and I vaguely heard Marko and Dwayne join in over Paul's loud guffaws.

"That was a bad idea," Peroxide growled, malice in his voice.

"Yeah, well does it look like I give a shit?"

I heard Paul laugh, and Dwayne again, but Marko had fallen silent.

"Allie?"

I bit my lip and looked behind me, as if I didn't know he was addressing me. Then he was in front of me. I looked into his storm-grey eyes, and watched as the pupils dilated, becoming smaller and smaller. Recognition lit up his face.

"It is you!" he cried with relish.

I turned and started to walk away, tugging my hood further over my face, but he followed me, and grabbed my arm.

I jerked away. "Leave me alone," I growled.

"No," he responded stubbornly, taking hold of me again. "Not until you talk to me."

"Fine then. How's this – you're selfish and egotistical, with absolutely no respect for peoples' privacy. You don't know the meaning of 'personal space' and only care about yourself. Is that enough? Or shall I carry on?"

"Carry on, I was enjoying that." Said Paul, looking genuinely curious.

"You've ruined my life, you're evil, and you make people watch you slaughter innocents. You use people and don't care about their feelings."

Marko looked at me, trying to see my face in the darkness. He went to push my hood away, but I jumped back, blushing.

"Don't touch me!"

"Why won't you let me see your face?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Because it's raining, and my hair'll get wet."

"You've never cared about your hair."

"I do now."

He continued to look at me. "What's up with your face?"

"Bad case of acne."

He didn't laugh.

"Let me see," he said, walking forward and taking my hood in his hand, yanking it back.

When he saw my face, he recoiled.

His reaction hit me like a punch to the gut, and I stumbled back, gasping. He was . . . _repulsed _by me.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled, tears springing to my eyes. "You've done enough damage already, so just _get out of my life!"_

He seemed unable to speak. "Allie . . ." he choked.

"If you don't like it, then _go! _You're . . . too old for me anyway!"

I started to walk, and then run, away from him. The rain fell like quicksilver onto the pavement, sliding away into the black puddles, like tears of oil. My teeth were gritted in fury and frustration.

Whenever I didn't like something about my life, I always worked to change it. Now . . . there was nothing I could do. I was powerless. It frightened me, and angered me. I just had to sit here while everyone else watched, as if my life was some sort of movie which would make them all feel better about themselves. Well, I wasn't going to let that happen. There had to be something . . .

A rush of wind above my head cut off my thoughts, and then before I realized it, I was being embraced.

"Allie," murmured Marko, ignoring me as I tried to wriggle out of his iron grip.

"Let me go!"

But he wouldn't. He held me in the pouring rain until I stopped struggling, and my sobs slowed to ragged gasps. Then he let me go, and stared into my face.

"What happened to you?" he asked, slowly and carefully.

" . . . Your . . . your fault!" I gasped, burying my face in my hands.

He was silent.

"I know that if I said I was sorry you wouldn't believe me –"

I shook my head.

"– But I'm going to say it anyway. Sorry . . . for everything. And by the way, I'm not too old for you. I'm only eighteen."

"Too late for apologies now, Marko." I said, ignoring the reference to his age.

He paused, thoughtful.

"No," he decided, "It's not."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey! So thanks to:** **BigTimeGleekBTR, allqua, xxxxPavarti-Patilxxxx, kittykat6625 and tetisheri for reviewing. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Anyway . . . here's the next chapter. I personally hate this one but that's just me. Allie seems too . . . self-pitying? I don't know. Yeah. I'm gonna go now because I'm blabbering. Bye.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 12: What we can't have<span>

"Even you can't change what's been and gone, Marko." I told him quietly.

"No," he agreed, "you're right. But I can fix it."

"How?"

He placed a finger over my lips and shook his head, his golden curls falling in his face. I repressed the questions I had for him, and let him tow me to his motorcycle, wrapping my arms round his waist and closing my eyes as we sped off.

Tears slid down my face, and I kept my head turned so Marko couldn't see I was crying. His steady heartbeat sounded in my ear as I leant my head against his shoulder, proof that he was still living, that perhaps he wasn't so different from me after all. But I couldn't help remembering all the conversations me and Alan and Edgar had had in the past – how they weren't alive, whether their hearts beat or not. I wasn't crying because I was with him again. I was crying because I knew that we could never, ever be together, not properly. While he stayed young and glorious, I would wither and grow old, and eventually, I would die. I wondered whether he would even want me when I was that old.

A hysterical, frenzied laugh broke out in my mind. Of course he wouldn't want me. He would move on, find someone else, someone who could give him what he wanted. Someone who could shine for him.

I exhaled deeply, feeling pain lance throughout my body because of what I didn't have. And what I could never have. He might want me now – even when I was ugly – but soon . . . I savoured the burn in my heart, because it was proof that I was still alive. Still breathing. And as long as I was alive, I would do my best to make him happy. He was my everything. I would give all of myself up to him, and he could take whatever part of me he desired – even nothing at all, if that's what he wanted.

The rest of the night, as I lay listening to the pounding rain lashing against the cave, and the raging sea beating the cliffs, I cried even more. Marko said he would fix me. But he couldn't, there was no way he could, because it wasn't just my face that needed mending. It was my heart, which was breaking and falling away into a million tiny pieces. I wanted him. More than anything, I wanted him. But I couldn't have him because we could never be the same. We'd always be torn apart, by our choices or by our obligations, it didn't matter which. Pick either, They'd both, in the end, be enough to separate us, no matter how strong our love was or how hard we tried to stay together. So I was crying because I didn't want the inevitable to come.

* * *

><p>When morning came, Marko strolled into the room, alone, with a jewelled bottle in his hand. He looked surprised when he found me awake, and I hastily took off my jacket so I could dry my eyes without him seeing.<p>

"What's that?" I asked when he sat on the edge of the couch, pointing at the bottle.

Marko smiled and unscrewed the cap, offering it to me.

"Drink," he commanded, and I hesitantly took the bottle out of his hand.

I took a small, tiny sip, letting the dark red liquid wash over my tongue. It tasted weird, almost recognizable, and there was a salty tang which brought a memory close to the surface of awareness. I'd had this before.

"What is this?" I asked, staring into the murky depths of the bottle.

Marko looked away. "Something that's going to heal you."

"And how does that work, exactly?" I asked sceptically.

"You'll see," he smiled gently, and ran his fingers over the scars on my face, before kissing them.

"Does it bother you? The scars?"

He looked confused by my question. "Do you think it should?"

"I'm ugly now. And you're . . . not."

To my surprise, he started laughing. "To be honest, I don't really care what you look like anymore, Allie. I used to think you were beautiful – I still do – it just doesn't _matter _to me anymore."

"Why . . . why _not?"_

"You love me whether I'm human or not. Don't you think I feel the same way about you? It doesn't matter to me what you are. You're _Allie, _and that's all I care about."

"Wow," I said, a relief sweeping through me. "You really mean that?"

He nodded.

"But . . . what about when I'm old? When I'm horrible and wrinkly and you're still eighteen?"

A guilty look crossed his face. "That won't happen. And I'm not eighteen, really; I'm one-hundred and eighty-seven."

"Why won't it happen?"

"You'll see."

"Stop saying that."

He shrugged. "You _will _see."

I glared at him, but let it go. A small, hopeful bubble was forming inside of me, and his question kept running through my mind: _Don't you think I feel the same way about you? _Could he feel that way about me? I highly doubted it.

"Are you really that old?" I asked him curiously.

"Yeah." He flashed me a mischievous smile. "But at least I've still kept my good looks."

"Hmm," I murmured, pondering those good looks.

"What?" he frowned, watching me staring at him.

"You really _are _good looking."

A goofy grin broke out over my face; I was feeling rather giddy; slightly uninhibited, which was completely out of character for me. I'd always been so reserved. A dizzy laugh burst out of my mouth, and Marko smirked.

"Feeling alright, Allie?"

"What . . . yeah, I'm fine."

"Why are you laughing?"

I didn't even know. "I just . . . found something funny."

He raised his eyebrows and shook his head, as if he'd expected a similar answer.

With my newfound frivolity, I leaned over and pressed my lips to his. He kissed me back gently, and I felt a rush of warmth brush over me, a deliberate, burning passion which set me on fire. My hands felt their way up underneath his shirt, exploring his muscular chest with my shaking fingertips. I felt his lips curve into a smile, but I didn't care; I traced the contours of his chest and unzipped his jacket, pulling off his shirt so I could look at his absolute perfection and marvel over it. The skin there was pale and smooth, and soft to touch. It felt like silk.

"Say the others walked in on us now . . . ?" I murmured, a high, blissful feeling of ecstasy within me.

"Then I'd tell them to keep their noses out of other people's private business." He replied, watching my hands as they drew patterns over his skin.

I nodded, smiling, and took his hand, placing it just underneath the hem of my blouse while I kissed him again.

He withdrew his fingers from my clothes. "I know you'll beat me up over this later, so I'll wait until you're sober." He said, amused.

I frowned. "I am sober."

"No, you're not."

"I haven't had anything to drink, so I have to be."

"You have had something to drink." He told me, staring me right in the eyes. "What you had earlier was blood. David's blood."

Through the haziness in my mind, shock rippled through me. "You mean . . . ?"

"Yeah. You're a vampire, Al."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys! So I know I haven't updated in forever, and I have no excuse. I've literally been doing nothing for the past week. Although - don't hate me - I saw Breaking Dawn yesterday and I must say it was better than the previous three. The first one sucked so bad. ANYWAY, thanks to: BigTimeGleekBTR, tetisheri, allqua, and Triquetra-Effect for reviewing. You encourage me to actually finish this, because I really don't like it. My writing's getting worse and worse and I really have no idea why.  
>So . . . here it is.<strong>

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 13: Changed<span>

I stared at him. "I didn't know you were fluent in bullshit."

" . . . I'm not lying."

"Oh, yeah, right. _Me, _a vampire? That's the funniest thing I've heard in a long time."

He looked and me with serious eyes. "I mean it, Allie. You're a vampire."

As his words began to sink in, I felt my heart drop like a lead weight through my stomach. He was lying. Of course he was lying! I couldn't be a vampire, because . . . because . . .

And I had nothing to say.

* * *

><p><em>2 weeks later.<em>

"Why aren't I allowed to leave?" I yelled, my blood boiling.

"Because . . . because David said so," Marko said, his voice low and pleading.

Ever since I'd been turned into a half-vampire, my mood had plummeted, while my temper had shot up. Even Marko found it difficult to calm me down when I flew into a rage.

"'Because David said so,'" I mimicked, my hands on my hips. "You do obey him, you're his puppet! I want to see my family, and 'he wont let me!' What a load of crap!"

"D'you _want _to have your head ripped off?" he asked.

"I can handle him."

He gave me an exasperated look. "Oh, sure you can. He's had two hundred years more experience than you. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"Two-hundred frickin' years. So what?"

"Allie, just calm down!" he begged, taking a step towards me so he stood next to the tattered couch.

"Don't tell me to _calm down!" _I screeched, and grabbed a broken piece of wood from the cave floor.

"Hey, whoa – Al, don't –"

I threw the stick at him and it hit his forehead with a dull thud. Droplets of blood sprouted from the wound and ran down his face.

"You idiot!" he growled, wiping his forehead with his sleeve.

That was enough to take me past 'pissed off ' mode and into 'crazy.' I let out a long wail and, despite the rational part of my mind screaming warnings at me, launched myself at him.

He raised his arms to stop me, but I barrelled past them and tried to grab his throat. My teeth were bared in a growl. This time my lips weren't disfigured; it only took me a glance in the mirror to know what Marko meant by 'fix me.' He'd healed my scars by turning me into a monster.

"Allie, stop!" he shouted in my ear, as if it would knock some sense into me.

"No!" I screamed back.

I felt my teeth elongate and the bloodlust rise. Without a second thought, I went for his neck.

I felt something hard hit my head, and I was knocked onto my backside, stunned. After the shock had gone away, the pain came. And _boy _did it hurt! I groaned and clutched my head in agony. Then I realized that Marko was still stood with his fist outstretched, a guilty expression on his face.

He'd hit me.

"You hit me!" I exclaimed.

"I had to," he growled. "You were going to rip my throat out."

Tears built up in my eyes. "I'm sorry," I whispered, "but it's not my fault. It's your own."

I stood up and walked outside into the night. The air was fresh and stung where the skin had been scraped off my face, even though I could feel the tissues already beginning to fuse back together. I couldn't believe it. I'd been about to kill Marko; the one boy I'd sworn I'd protect with my life; the one boy who mattered more to me than anything else in the world. And yet in the moment, I'd actually _wanted _to hurt him . . . I'd _wanted _to kill him . . . what had happened to me? I truly was a monster. I couldn't control myself.

Tears rolled down my face and I glared defiantly out at the obsidian ocean, the crashing waves that lashed against the cliff. My insides squirmed with repulse and anger; both pointedly directed at me.

"Allie?" I didn't turn round at the sound of Marko's voice. "I know it's not your fault. I'm sorry."

"Why don't you leave me alone?"

"We can fix this, Al."

"Yeah, and look what happened last time you said that. You'd have thought that after nearly two-hundred years you'd have found a brain cell or two. Guess not." I said resentfully.

"Al . . ."

"My name's Alison."

"We _can _fix this –"

I snapped. "_Oh?_ And how exactly do you propose we do that?"

"We kill the head vampire. It'll turn you back to normal."

"Oh, yeah, let's just go and kill David now, shall we? Come on Marko, let's find a nice sharp stake!"

He smiled slightly. "David's not the head vampire."

That brought me up short. "Then . . . who is?"

"This guy called Max. David hates his guts; he doesn't like being told what to do. As you've probably figured out."

"So fucking what. Let's just kill the head vampire; I'm sure it'll be easy. I mean, hey, he can't be that hard to defeat with just the two of us. He must _only _be five-hundred years old!"

"It won't just be the two of us."

I balled my hands into fists, trying to calm myself down. "How'd you figure that out?"

"David will help us . . . and that means Paul and Dwayne will too."

I was shocked. "Are you really that deluded? David wouldn't help us if his life depended on it."

"If it makes _him _head vampire? I'd bet he would."

"You'd bet our lives on that?"

He hesitated, and then nodded.

"Well then," I said, "what the hell are we waiting for? I'm gonna get out of here! Finally!"

Marko looked at me resentfully, but I didn't care. I'd just about had it with him. There was no more _us. _There was just _me _and _him, _two completely separate entities with two completely separate lives; our destinies weren't intertwined. Not any more, they weren't.

"We'll wait for David to get back before we try to kill Max. And then . . ." Marko took a deep breath. "And then, you can leave."

I felt a deep satisfaction within me, one that was mine and yet somehow didn't belong to me. I don't know how much David's blood had changed me, but I knew for a fact that I had to change back. And fast. Before it was too late and I did something I would, eventually, regret.

**So yeah. I'm gonna go sit in a corner now because I forgot how crap this chapter was. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello, fellow earthlings! So I'm in a bit of a hyper mood today, for the first time in forever, and I thought you guys might like an update. So . . . here it is! Thanks to: tetisheri and allqua for reviewing, it's nice of you to stick with me here ;)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 14: What I wanted<span>

Dusty red bricks lined the pathway in zigzags, creating a neat patchwork of stones to the house, which was framed with a soft ring of hazy moonlight. Pale luminescence filtered through the clouds and illuminated the flagstones.

I walked with quiet, steady footsteps up the path, Marko at my heel, us both following silently behind the others. David's face was set with rigid determination. Every second or so he glanced up at the dark windows of the house, eyes focused on any tiny movement within the frames.

"Have you got your stake?" Marko asked me quietly.

"Of course," I whispered back, eyes never leaving the house.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and my stomach was filled with a queasy anticipation, waiting for the sign that our cover had been blown.

"So what now?"

We had reached the doorway. David stretched out his hand towards the metal doorknob, hesitating for a second before eventually turning it.

The door swung open, revealing a dark passageway within. A chill breeze rocked the skeleton limbs of trees and tousled my hair, blowing the short strands into my eyes.

David took one hesitant step forward, and then called, "Max?" into the shadowed doorway.

A hollow silence greeted his words. It stretched on and on, tension tangible in the air. The silence lasted.

"Maybe we should go," I whispered into the unwelcoming quiet.

"But you've only just arrived!"

We all span round. A tall, lean, middle-aged man stood behind us, a smile plastered forcefully on his face. He was looking at David carefully, a scrutinizing air about him.

"Max," David acknowledged curtly.

"Why the late visit, David?" Max asked curiously.

I slid my hand up my shirt, feeling for the comforting touch of my stake.

"We have a new addition to the family," David replied, gesturing to me.

There wasn't a trace of resentment to be found as he looked at me. I hadn't known he was such a killer actor.

"I see." Said Max. "Why don't you all come inside?"

I saw a flicker of worry pass across David's face, but it was quickly dismissed. Everyone but me and Max looked at David helplessly, as if asking for permission.

David nodded, resigned.

Max ushered us into the house, closing the door behind him; a single bulb flickered above our heads, revealing a long, narrow corridor, with pale blue paint peeling off the walls. To my left a staircase rose into darkness, and, to my right, another door led into a dimly-lit kitchenette.

Max offered me his hand, gazing at me levelly with a knowing expression on his face.

I slowly extended my palm towards him and then, too rapidly for me to comprehend, three things happened in quick succession. Max flipped his hand and grabbed my wrist, yanking out the stake concealed beneath my blouse; David launched himself over my head, and crashed into Max, sending him backwards into the front door with a loud _crash_; and, lastly, something collided with me and I fell to the floor, my wrist twisted at an awkward angle. Pain roiled through me and I let out a muffled yell, rolling over so I could clutch my wrist. I saw Dwayne fall back and shatter a grimy mirror behind him. The shards cascaded to the floor, and I covered my face with my hands. Through half-closed eyes, I noticed my hand stuck out in a strange direction, the fingers hanging limp. I'd broken my wrist.

"Allie, get your stake, _get your stake!" _Marko yelled through the carnage.

Dizzily, the bones in my wrist already beginning to fuse back together, I reached for the sharpened piece of wood on the floor in front of me.

"I'm too old to be fooled by such tricks, David!" Max's voice penetrated the haze in my head, and I opened my eyes fully, taking in the scene as quickly as I could.

David was being pinned to the ground by Max, a long gash on his cheek; Dwayne was unconscious on the floor; and Paul and Marko were both trying to scramble away from the older vampires, sharp stakes in their trembling hands.

With my newfound reflexes and battle-hardwired mind, I launched myself at Max, catching him off-guard and throwing him against the stairs. Using my distraction as an advantage, David grabbed a shard of glass from the floor and soared over me. A spurt of blood soaked my clothes and Max yelled in agony.

I was thrown backwards and slammed against the door, the pain barely registering through the panic. Through fluttering eyelids I saw a bloodstained max pressing me against the door, his hand reaching for my throat. Over his shoulder I saw David watching silently.

_The bastard, _I thought, astonishment rippling through me. So this was his plan, was it? Kill two birds with one stone? David knew that Max would kill me, and then afterwards, when I was dead, he could finish off Max and finally become the head vampire.

I felt Max's fingers close around my throat, and I squeezed my eyes tightly shut. This was it. This was the end. _That bastard!_

Just as the oxygen was cut off from my aching lungs, Max's hand convulsed, and then slackened its hold on my windpipe. My eyes flew open, just as Max fell to the floor. It was then that I noticed the wooden stake protruding from his back and I gasped.

Marko stood, panting, behind him. He grabbed the end of the stake and pulled it out of Max's body. "Next time," he said, throwing it to David, "do her the favour she did to you, and save her life."

David caught the stake in his right hand and looked at Marko darkly. The cut on his face had healed, a faint white scar in its place.

"What happened to your wrist?" Marko asked me, just noticing my broken bone.

I looked down at Max, who was lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. His chest rose and fell in heaving lurches.

"I fell," I choked out softly.

Marko approached me slowly and took my wrist in his hands. With a sharp _snap, _he cracked the bone in half again. I howled in pain and tried to wrench my arm out of his grip.

"Stop struggling," said Marko, holding onto me. "I need to re-set the bone before you're human again."

I understood, and grimly slackened my arm. Marko twisted my wrist slightly, and then held it in both of his hands firmly, so I was unable to move my hand. I stifled a scream and closed my eyes.

"There." He said quietly. "Wait for Dwayne to come around, and then we'll go."

I nodded, opening my eyelids. Max's breathing slowed, and then, after a tremendous shudder, stopped. His mouth fell slack with a frightening finality.

The only sound in the narrow hallway was the steady _drip, drip, _of blood from Max's ruined chest.

**Duh duh DUUUUHHH! Woo. Dramatic. I hope you guys thought so :) **

**And also - Max is dead. LET'S CELEBRATE! (In case you didn't realize, I hate Max. With a burning, fiery passion. HAHAHA)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hey guys! Just finished this chapter a minute ago and was pretty happy with it. And thanks to you guys that reviewed the last chapter, it means a lot.  
>Anyway, here it is! <strong>

* * *

><p>"So I guess this is it, then." Said Marko, looking me right in the eyes.<p>

We were in the cave. David, Paul and Dwayne were lounging in chairs, oblivious to our conversation.

I nodded. "I . . . suppose I'll see you around."

David's head snapped round at that. "You're not going anywhere." Hm. Not so oblivious after all.

"And who are you to stop me? I'm human again. You have no hold on me, nothing to make me stay."

"You know too much."

"What a load of bullshit!" I exploded. "You know as well as I do that you only want me to stay because _I don't want to. _You're just trying to make my life hell, and I'm not standing for it."

David smiled coldly. "But what can you _do _about it? There are four of us, and one of you. You don't stand a chance."

"You can't keep me holed up in here forever. I have something that you don't."

"And what's that?" He asked, circling me like a lion about to pounce on its prey.

I pointed at the cave's entrance. "Tolerance to vitamin D."

I found this hilarious, but he just couldn't find the humour in it. His eyes were icier than usual, his voice like frost.

"You're not leaving."

"So you say. But, like _I _said, I'm not standing for it." I replied icily.

"Why don't you two take this outside?" Paul suggested from the other side of the room, smirking at his own joke.

"Good idea," I said. "In thirty minutes you'll just be a pile of ash."

David growled. Ooo. Touchy.

"See you," I said, waving at them all and turning to leave.

Discreetly, so none of them noticed, I slid my hand up my shirt and drew out my stake. I wasn't going to take chances; I'd picked it up from Max's house before we left.

Just as I reached the entrance, David attacked. I felt his weight bring me to my knees and I gasped in pain. I lashed out with my right hand made a small gash on his cheek with the stake. David hissed, leaping away from me, blood dripping down his jaw.

"What are you doing?" Marko asked me angrily.

"Trying to get out of here alive," I replied, wondering whether he was concerned for David's safety or my own. "Coming?"

"Are you nuts?"

I would have responded to his question if I hadn't been punched in the face. _Literally _punched. I swayed, and then fell to my butt on the floor.

"Ouch," I muttered, reaching up and feeling my face.

"Hey!" Marko's angry voice made me blink.

Through my lashes I saw David smiling coldly. And then Marko's fist swung out of nowhere, smashing David's nose so hard it cracked.

I would've cheered if the situation hadn't been so dire.

David, already up and standing again, rounded on Marko.

"Protecting her, are you?" He snarled.

Marko, looking at his closed fist with a reverent expression on his face, was apparently too dumbstruck by his own actions to say anything back.

"Well, if you're going to side with her, then there's only one way to settle this. Paul, Dwayne; come here."

For once in his life, Paul looked uneasy. "Hey, I'm not getting into anything. Give Marko a break. He hasn't got his head on straight."

Dwayne looked ready to agree with him, but held back from saying anything

"Marko," I said, starting to panic, "apologize. Don't fight them."

Marko turned to me incredulously. "Who was the one telling me to grow a spine? _You. _Who was the one telling me to stand up for myself? _You. _Well – watch me."

"If this is some stupid show of bravado then you're going to get yourself killed," I said bitterly. "This won't get you anywhere."

He glared at me. "Maybe you'll respect me after this."

"Not when you're dead, I won't. I'll just think that you're way more stupid then you ever let on."

"Paul; Dwayne!" David snapped loudly.

The two vampires looked at each other, deliberating. What was more important to them; risking their own lives or risking the life of their brother?

I looked around desperately. It was still dark outside; but it was growing lighter every minute. I could leave, and let Marko take whatever he had coming. Or I could try to save him.

I already knew what I had to do.

"Marko. Do you trust me?" I said quietly, as we backed further and further away from David's approaching form.

He looked at me, and for a second I doubted what his answer was going to be. But he nodded.

"Good." I murmured. "On the count of three, we run."

"Run where?" Marko hissed back.

"Outside."

Marko stared at me incredulously.

"You said you trusted me. So trust me."

"Just don't get me killed."

"One," I whispered, "two . . . _three!"_

Marko grabbed my hand and together, we ran. David and the others followed, hesitating when they reached the cave entrance.

"Now what?" Marko yelled, looking back just as David ventured outside.

"Can you carry me and fly at the same time?" I shouted back.

He caught on. "Yeah," he said, "I can."

And before I knew it, I was being wrenched off the ground and was soaring through the air.

"Let's go to my house!" I gasped, laughing.

He seemed hesitant at first, but then he turned westwards towards the town.

And suddenly the future didn't seem so dark anymore.

* * *

><p>We tumbled through my window, just as the first break of dawn streaked across the sky. I hastily drew the curtains, so that the room was enclosed in darkness.<p>

A moment of silence.

Downstairs, it was quiet; my mother wasn't in the house. We were alone. And just as that thought crossed my mind, Marko's strong arms wrapped around me, pulling my close to him.

"I've missed you," he whispered, and suddenly I felt shy.

I'd missed myself, too. Today I'd gained a small part of myself back. My humanity.

And in return I'd given up my entire world.

"I want to be with you forever," I murmured, burying my face into his chest. "But I'm not myself when I'm a vampire. Even a half-vampire."

I realized now that it wasn't my humanity as such that I wanted back. It was my _essence. _I was ruled by darkness when I was immortal.

"I don't want to live without you," Marko said quietly.

I didn't answer. Even if I couldn't be immortal . . . life as a human was precious to me. Every second, every minute was valuable. You never know whether it'd be your last. And that's what made it so special to me. That my time here was limited. If I could live forever . . . I would take things for granted. Being in love wouldn't be so magical anymore.

Marko tilted up my chin and kissed me softly. I kissed him back, my face flushed, my palms sweaty. I hadn't wanted him in a way like this since . . . since _it _had happened. Since I'd been turned into an immortal. But now, I was human, and I'd never wanted anyone or anything so much in my life. I wanted him so bad it hurt. Marko's breathing grew heavy, and he pulled me closer to him. Slowly, tentatively, I slid my hands up his shirt and pulled it off. I traced his muscles with my fingers, feeling the warmth of his skin underneath my hands. His beating heart.

We stood there for a few minutes, just listening to the sound of each other's heartbeats.

"Marko, do you want me?" I whispered timidly.

"Are you kidding?"

He tugged at my blouse and stripped it off. I was trembling, a little out of fear, but mostly out of yearning. I'd never done this before. Hell, I'd hardly _wanted _to. But now . . . I wanted him so goddamn bad it was like physical pain.

Marko unlatched my lace bra, and ran his hands over my body, making me shiver. I reached up and kissed him again, harder this time, more confidently. His teeth tugged on my lower lip.

Before I knew it we were both laying, undressed, on my bed. Marko whispered into my ear; that he loved me, that he needed me. I stayed silent.

He ran his hand up my leg, and I suddenly blurted out: "I've never done this before."

He raised his eyebrows. "What? Never?"

I shook my head.

He smiled, and leaned forward, whispering in my ear: "Don't worry. It's easy."

He kissed me again, and everything else; every fear; every secret, just fell away.

**Wow. I hope my mum never reads this. That was embarrassing.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hi all. Thank you allqua and tetisheri for reviewing the last chapter, it means a lot :)  
>So I started writing this chapter about an hour or so ago, and I actually kind of like it. I came up with a little twist none of you will have expected - at least I hope you didn't because otherwise that's my imagination gone to pot. It's kind of sad, but it gives me a reason to, uh . . . well, sort things out with some other characters. Yeah. So here it is! Enjoy :)<strong>

* * *

><p>Through my eyelids I saw the warm light of a midday sun creep in through my window. I blinked, and peered through my lashes into the glare. The first thing I noticed was that Marko wasn't next to me. The second thing I noticed was noises downstairs; my mother was home.<p>

"Crap," I whimpered, one hundred percent aware of the fact that I had been missing for well over two weeks.

I had no idea what I was going to do. It wasn't like I could just stroll in and act like I'd been here all along! What the hell had I been thinking, coming back here?

I pushed Marko and last night firmly into the back of my mind, to think over at a later date. There was no way I'd be able to handle my mother _and _him right now. I sat on my bed, staring at my clothes which lay scattered on the floor. A hot blush crept into my cheeks. I ran a hand across my body, not realizing until now how sore I was. But . . . I'd done it! With the only person I'd ever wanted to do it with, too. Not many people had the good fortune to be able to say that.

I stood up and walked across my room to my closet, hoping my mother had thought to keep my clothes in case I decided to return home any time soon.

"AAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHH!"

The scream was loud enough that all movement downstairs stopped in an instant. My heart thudded loudly as I gasped and clutched at my naked legs.

Marko was hung, upside down, in my wardrobe. After a second, his grey eyes opened. He caught sight of my trembling form on the floor and managed to come down from the clothing racks.

"Allie? Why are you screaming? Are you okay?" He asked, touching my hair.

"You . . . closet . . . scared me . . ."

He frowned. "It's okay,"

And then, to my utter horror, footsteps sounded on the stairs.

"Aw, crap!" I whispered. "Marko, get back in the closet! Grab me some clothes . . . yes . . . hurry!"

Marko handed me some jeans and a T-shirt, and some clean underwear. I threw it all on and hastily shut the closet door on Marko.

The door opened. Jasmine Taylor was stood in my doorway, staring at me open-mouthed.

My throat went dry, and I croaked out: "Hi,"

My mother grew pale, and stared at me. "Allie . . ."

"Yeah. It's me."

"Your face . . ."

I stiffened. I'd completely forgotten about the scars – or lack of scars. How could I possibly explain that?

"It's great, isn't it?" I asked, my voice squeaky.

She seemed to really look at me for the first time. And then she ran at me and enveloped me in her arms, sobbing loudly.

"Oh my God! You're okay! I thought . . . I thought . . ."

"I'm okay, mum, I'm okay. I'm fine. Really, I am."

And for the first time in months, I _was _fine. So fine that I was almost . . . _happy. _That was it, I realized with a start. That's what it was last night. _Happiness. _And love. Complete and utter adoration.

"Where have you _been?" _My mother asked.

Ah. The ultimate question. "I was . . . looking for . . . a way to heal the scars," I lied easily. "And I found it."

"How?" she gazed up and my face in wonder and more than a hint of suspicion.

"I . . . can't tell you," I admitted.

She looked like she was about to argue, but thought better of it. "I still can't believe . . . when you left, I thought you were gone for good. I had no idea . . ."

"It's okay. Really. Everything can go back to normal again now, I promise."

But could it? After everything that had happened in the last two weeks . . . nothing could change the way I felt about Marko. That was the vital decision, wasn't it? The choice between my mother and him. Between my family and my soul mate. Between life and death.

I just didn't know which was which anymore.

I slid out of my mother's arms and slumped on the bed with my head in my hands.

"But I don't want it to," I said, loud enough so she could hear.

"What? Why not?"

"Mum," I began, looking at her sadly. "I've found something that I want. Something that I _really_ want. Something I can't live without."

My mother's eyes filled with tears. "And what is that? What's more important than your family?"

How about my entire world? "You wouldn't understand. You couldn't possibly understand, because you've never loved anyone besides Dad! And you didn't even love him enough to want him forever, to need him more than you need air to breathe. You could never understand!"

"You were with those vampires, weren't you?"

My whole body froze. She _knew? _How did she know! That was not possible, it couldn't be . . .

"Vampires? What vampires?" I snapped a little too loudly.

"I knew it!" she exclaimed, her hands twitching in anger. "I knew one of them would get to you! How dare they! After all he put me through . . ."

My head was spinning. I couldn't concentrate properly.

"What are you talking about . . . ?" I asked, the words coming out slurred. "How do you know . . . ?"

"Your father didn't leave us," she whispered.

"Then . . . you left him?"

"No."

"Then how . . . ?"

"Your vampires . . . killed him."

* * *

><p>"He wouldn't. Marko wouldn't!"<p>

I felt sick. What she was saying was impossible, because . . . because . . .

The muscles in my torso contracted, trying to expel anything that was in my stomach. But there wasn't anything in there to throw up. I felt tears prick my eyes, and I brushed them away.

"Marko? So that's who you were with before. I thought it was David."

Like anything in the deepest pits of hell could make me go anywhere _near_ David.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Marko was the gentlest, if any of them could ever be gentle. David was more . . . tempestuous. If he cared about anything at all, then he cared about it more than his own life. That was easy to see . . ."

She carried on, oblivious to my inside turmoil.

"I remember Paul and Dwayne, too. Paul the joker. Always laughing, that one. And Dwayne was the quiet one. Hardly ever said a word!"

"What do you _mean?" _I moaned, pulling at my hair.

"And then there was Max. Passionate, caring, beautiful Max. From the first moment, I felt something for him. I wasn't sure what it was at first. I thought it was love. But then I met your Dad . . ."

Stop. _Please stop._

"I'd never felt anything so amazing. I loved him from the moment I set eyes on him. Max didn't like that. He didn't like that at all. So he killed him . . . took away my entire world . . ." She looked at me sadly. "And now he's come to take my daughter away from me."

"Max is dead."

I looked up. Marko was standing in the shade of the closet door, even though the curtains were still drawn. He was looking at my mother with recognition in his eyes.

"Jasmine," he acknowledged curtly.

She didn't respond. Her head was bent, staring at the floor.

Then she looked up. "So David finally got rid of him?"

"We all did," Marko replied. "Allie didn't want to be a vampire, so we had no choice. We got rid of him just a few days ago."

A sort of peace came over Jasmine Taylor's face. "At last," she breathed.

Marko looked at me, taking in my pained face, and walked across the room to hold me in his arms.

"It's okay," he soothed.

"No it's not," I moaned, leaning into him. "Max killed my dad! My mum . . . she _knows _about you!"

He smiled wryly. "I know."

"You didn't . . . you didn't _hurt _my dad, did you? Please tell me you didn't hurt him . . . ?"

"No." He sighed. "That was all Max."

"Marko was my friend," my mother said, gazing at us despondently. "So were the others. But Max didn't feel that way about me . . . he wanted something more . . ."

I felt sick again.

"He knew who I was," I said hollowly. "He tried to kill me. He knew he could hurt you even more by hurting me . . ."

"But he didn't," finished Marko. "And I'd never let him."

He turned around to face my mum, and smiled regretfully. "Long time no see, eh?"

**Wow . . . *Tension dissipates* Bet you never saw that coming, hey?**


	17. Chapter 17

**So it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. But anyway, here's a new chapter! And thanks to: allqua, BigTimeGleekBTR, tetisheri, and Amelia for reviewing. You guys make my day :)**

**Also, I found out the other day that my old neighbour and friend has published an e-book on Amazon! It's called 'The Rose Prince' and it's by Bethany Dean. I'd be really grateful if you could check it out, it's £3.44 (I don't know how much that is in dollars) but if you like it, then go for it! I actually might see if I can publish one on there one day, when I'm older. I think it's great.**

**P.S. I forgot to tell you guys, but I met someone the other day with the name 'Alison Taylor.' I stared at her really weirdly, and I was _that close _to telling her that I had a FanFiction character with her name. I was so freaked out. She even looked kind of like her, but middle-aged. I tell you, it was creepy. Really creepy.**

**Anyway. Enough of me talking. Here's the next chapter ^^**

* * *

><p>"They're coming for us. They <em>all <em>are."

My mother looked at me, her eyes growing larger. "David?"

"Yes."

We were sat in the living room. Marko held my hand, sitting with me in the darkest corner of the room, and my mother was resting quietly in an armchair beside us.

"When?"

Marko and I glanced at each other. "Tonight," I admitted. "As soon as the sun is down they'll be looking for us."

"And there's no doubt that they'll find us," added Marko, shifting uncomfortably.

I knew this couldn't be easy for him. There was no way I could ask him to fight against his brothers for my sake; but I didn't want it to have to come to that. Unfortunately, David didn't happen to be the diplomatic type. He'd think of this as an easy way of getting rid of me once and for all.

"I'll talk to him," sighed Mum. "He'll come around."

"Are you sure we're talking about the right David here? He's a mass-murdering, psychopathic –"

Marko shot me a hurt look.

"Sorry," I apologized, blushing.

"He'll listen. He was my friend."

"Yeah," I said, uncomfortable. "But he and I aren't, uh, exactly on the friendliest of terms."

"It doesn't take much to get on his bad side." She admitted.

Bad side? I wasn't aware that he had a _good_ side.

"It's a little more complicated than that," Marko said, his eyes tight. I wasn't sure whether that was because of the filtered sunlight or the conversation we were having, but either way, he was in pain. And I didn't like that at all.

"He'll listen to me," my mother assured us. "He's a good guy, deep down."

Well. I was glad we were on the same page.

"Mum," I reasoned, "are you sure? We're risking our lives here. I don't want to take chances."

"He'll listen to me," she said firmly.

* * *

><p>So we waited. After a while, Marko excused himself (probably to find a dark closet somewhere) and my mother and I were left alone in the room.<p>

"So," said my mother, and I could feel a relationship-talk coming on. "You and Marko."

"What about us?" I asked, swallowing.

"You like him."

"Yeah. I like him."

"Love him?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Alison Taylor," said Mum. "I can always tell when you're lying."

"So what if I love him?" I burst out, exasperated. "Aren't you just going to laugh at me and say that I'll 'get over it' or something"?

"Of course not."

"Then –"

"I'm curious. I haven't seen you in two weeks and now you've come back, out of the blue, with one of my old friends in tow. How do you think I feel?"

She had a point.

"I don't know, Mum. I'm confused. Give me some time to think."

She glared at me. "Sometimes I feel like I don't even know you any more, Allie."

And she left the room.

I sat by myself, feeling more alone than ever. I'd never expected, not for one second, that my mother would have anything to do with my tangled world of fantasy and lies. Boy, I'd never seen that one coming! I didn't know whether it was for the best or not. I just hoped that I could keep her out of the sticky mess I'd created for myself, because if I couldn't . . . it would all be my fault.

Time passed quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I was shocked when Marko came downstairs and sat beside me.

"It's time," he said.

He was right.

I opened the curtains, and found myself staring into the soft purple haziness of an encroaching night. My throat constricted. Soon – very soon – David would be here. And what happened then was entirely in the hands of fate. There was nothing I could do but throw the dice and hope it landed to my favour.

My mother walked into the room, and came to stand beside us. For once, we felt a connection. We were on the same side of a bottomless chasm which stretched for miles across – and David was on the other. The bit that disturbed me most, though, was that I didn't know where to place Marko in that equation. It was like he was dangling by a thread above an echoing black hole, held on by the only truth he knew . . . that he loved me, and I loved him.

That was the only thing either of us knew at that moment.

"They're here." Marko's flat, level voice made me jump.

I tried to speak, but no sound came out my mouth. Instead I swallowed and nodded.

Marko walked towards the front door and began to open it, and just as his hand touched the handle, I found my voice.

"What are you doing?" I said, rushing over to stop him.

He smiled. "I'm trying to be diplomatic."

I let him open the door. My mother walked slowly towards the open doorway, and the light from the house spilt over our silhouettes and onto the ground, where it lit up the puddles of rain.

Three figures walked slowly forward. David came first, his flinty eyes locked on me. I'd been right; of course he'd come for me. I was a fool to think I'd ever be able to get away from him.

They stopped a few paces from the doorway, and from the look in David's eyes I knew I'd have to live a lot longer, feel a lot stronger, to ever understand the hatred in his eyes when he looked at me. Marko tried to shield me from the blazing dislike in his face, but I pushed him back.

All it would take was one step forward, one blow, and this would all be over. I prepared myself for the impact.

An eternity passed in the space of a few seconds.

And then . . . my mother stepped forwards, throwing her shadow down the pathway to the house.

There was a moment of silence, and then comprehension dawned, settling over the three vampires in front of us until their eyes sparked with recognition.

"Jasmine?" David's voice was full of uncertainty, and more than a little fear.

"Hello, David. It's nice to see you again."

**Duh-duh DUUUUH. Wow. That was fun.**

**So check out that e-book, and I'll tell you guys if I ever put one up ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi guys! So thanks to: BigTimeGleekBTR, tetisheri, Triquetra-Effect, and allqua for reviewing the chapter. It means a lot :)  
>Anyway, here's the next chapter. It's the Christmas holidays now so hopefully I'll be so bored I will write more chapters for you guys, because I have nothing else to do. So yeah. Enjoy!<strong>

* * *

><p>There was a growl, and a dark flash, and my mother was being pinned up against the wall.<p>

"I thought you'd _left?" _David hissed into her ear as he tightened his hold on her shoulders.

"I did," Jasmine breathed back, hardly able to speak through her surprise.

"But you came back!"

"It was safe. He didn't know I'd returned."

David released my mother and stepped back, anger plain on his face. "That doesn't make it any better."

"Mum . . . what are you talking about? What's going on?" I said, more than a little confused.

At the first word I spoke, David whipped round to face me. Understanding passed over his face. And then, in the space of a single moment, the puzzle pieces finally clicked together.

David stared in disbelief. "She's your daughter," he said, and turned to gaze at my mother. "I thought you said . . . ?"

"I lied," Jasmine replied. "I _was _pregnant. Max couldn't know."

David shook his head. "Unbelievable." He looked at me, and most of the resentment was gone from his features. "And now it all comes full circle . . ."

Paul stepped forward, as if to get a better look at Mum. "Boy, have you got old!" He exclaimed, and started laughing.

Mum didn't get angry at him, but instead smiled as she would to an old friend. "This is what I got in return for innocence . . . you knew me well enough to know I wasn't going to kill anyone. Not like Max. He should've known better."

"You still shouldn't've come back!" David said, still angry. "We're not the only ones here, you know. It's dangerous. Especially for you, when you know so much about us already. And with your blood, immortals would be drawn to you like a magnet!"

I had to stop myself from snorting when he said _immortals. _Was he seriously too proud to call himself by what he really was? Did he think _vampire _didn't sound as cool anymore?

"What about your blood, Mum?" I asked, wondering if Santa Carla was really that dangerous.

"I was a half-vampire," said Jasmine. "But I persuaded Max to kill the head vampire, with my help – he couldn't resist the temptation for power, and he traded my immortality for it. And then I ran away with your father. My blood is still contaminated; other vampires can smell it miles out."

"But I thought Max was the head vampire?"

"Only after he killed the first one," she told me. "And now that Max is dead, David must be . . . ?"

David shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know what happened, but . . . I don't think . . ."

"Don't think what?"

David stared at the ground. "It didn't work. The transition didn't work."

"You mean you're _not_ head vampire?" Said Paul, staring at him.

"No."

I felt a shiver roll down my spine, as I realized what everything meant; my blood was contaminated, still, by that of David's. And also . . . David wasn't head vampire. Which meant that someone else _was._

My mother's eyes clouded with unease. "You think that Max created another vampire before you?" She asked David. "You think there's another vampire out there that took his power?"

David nodded.

We all stood there like statues. Nearby, leaves rustled, and Marko stood closer beside me. I felt his disquiet and touched his arm.

"If there's another head vampire out there," said Marko, his voice smooth as silk, "then we've got to find him. Or her, if it was a female Max created first."

"Why?" asked Jasmine. "Why can't we just leave them be?"

"Because," David said quietly, "until we find – and kill – this immortal, then they have the same control over us that Max did. We have to bend to their will, and so will Santa Carla."

"Does that really matter?" I asked. "Can't we just let them have the place?"

David glanced at me. "The fight for blood when the power in a city switches is huge. Once one clan is out, tonnes more battle to get in. You can imagine what it's like. It's a bloodbath."

"Like you care for human life."

"I don't, but it won't just be humans being slaughtered. It'll be all of us, too." He gestured to Marko, Paul and Dwayne.

"Then how could you kill Max?" I asked. "If he had control over you then how could you kill him?"

"Easy," he said. "We had you. When you joined the clan – even though you never did, for all intents and purposes – you had total control over yourself, when he had none. He never made you swear to anything. You could kill him."

"But I never killed him. That was Marko."

"Max told us never to do anything against him to gain power. That was why I couldn't kill Max, even when he was trying to kill you."

"But –"

David cut me off. "Marko didn't kill Max to take his power – not that it would've gone to him anyway – but he did it to stop Max from killing you. Max never expected us to do anything against him out of . . . love."

And that was his fatal mistake.

"So Marko could kill him because he never wanted to take Max's power?"

David nodded.

"So we gotta kill this head vampire?" said Paul excitedly.

"As soon as possible," said David. "Whoever they are, they'll realize what power they have. They'll know how many immortals they have in their hands."

My mother closed her eyes, and exhaled through her nose. "They'll find us easily," she said. "Allie was a half vampire, like me. That's how you healed her – don't deny it, Marko, I'm not stupid – and her blood is as potent as mine. They'll smell it."

David's face drained of colour. "They'll know where to find us. Exactly where."

"I don't see the problem with just giving them Santa Carla!" I exclaimed. "Was it really that bad to have Max control you?"

Dwayne stared at me, and I saw myself in his eyes. My sixteen years were nothing to him. I was barely a child.

"Santa Carla had been ours for over one hundred and fifty years. Do you really think we're going to give it up without a fight?"

No, I didn't. But when I looked at Marko, I hoped beyond hope that they would.

Because if he was taken from me, then there'd be little reason to fight for anything at all.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey guys. So don't hate me. It's been a month - and nothing, I know. But I couldn't think of _anything _to write. Writer's block sucks. But, after I started to write a one-shot to get me back in the mood - BAM - inspiration hit. In the form of a very jealous, bitchy ex-girlfriend. Marko's, that is. So it may be kind of crap because it's been so long and it's taken me ages to get back into the swing of it all. Sorry about that. But here it is!  
>PS. Another excuse - I've been reading vampire books and watching vampire films and obsessing over all things vampire. You can't really blame me though. Vampires are awesome. (Ever read the Morganville vampires? No? READ THEM)<br>**

Chapter 19: Maria

A man stood in the doorway. He was tall and dark, and had deep-set eyes which sparkled in the moonlight. Chocolate coloured hair fell in soft waves to his shoulders, thick and lustrous, and framed his face. He was wearing plain, simple clothing with a black leather coat.

I frowned, and tried to remember where I'd seen him before. Because I _had _seen him before, I was sure of it.

Clumsily, I stumbled out of my bed and walked over to the man. He closed my bedroom door behind him, and I moved forward so I could peer at his face. After all, it was a dream, so he wouldn't mind.

Suddenly, my arm was locked in an iron grip, and I gasped. A dream shouldn't hurt this much.

The man leaned close to me, until I could feel his breath on my face. It smelt pleasant, like cinnamon spice, and hot and heavy. Then there was another pain on my arm; a sharp sting, more precise than the ache of his hand grasping my flesh. I looked down. A narrow but deep cut was engraved on my upper arm. The man's jaw tightened and he pulled a glass vial from one of the coat pockets, placing it against my flesh and letting the blood flow into it, slowly, drop by drop.

Then he moved away, sealing the vial. He looked at me with cold, coffee-coloured eyes, freezing me. I couldn't have moved even if I'd wanted to.

"You will not remember this," he said, with a voice like velvet and honey. "This did not happen. Now, I want you to go back to your bed and go to sleep."

It wasn't a question; it was an order. And somehow my body responded appropriately. I moved back to my bed, listening to the click of the door closing and the steady _thump, thump _of my heartbeat. My mind was already beginning to fall in to a haze before my head even hit the pillow.

I woke to the scent of cinnamon spice. My eyes fluttered open, a dream fading from the edge of consciousness. Brown irises and dark hair swarmed in front of my eyes for a fraction of a second.

Then everything went blank.

I squinted in concentration, trying to remember what . . . well, I didn't know what. I just _couldn't _remember. My brain was completely and utterly empty.

Then Marko's face blurred into my mind's eye, and I didn't even bother trying to remember. I jumped out of bed and grabbed the first clothes my hands reached when I opened my closet. I ran down the stairs, looking out at black sky. It must have been about four in the morning.

I grabbed my bicycle and set off down the driveway, a prickling feeling on the nape of my neck. It felt like was being watched. Not good . . . I still felt like I could smell cinnamon.

I reached the cave a half hour later, and tiptoed inside. It was quiet . . . _too _quiet.

A blur of black and ice blonde flashed in front of me.

"Aaagghhh!" I screamed, and flung my fists out uselessly in front of me, punching thin air.

"Shhh!" David grabbed my wrists and smoothed down my hair.

I slumped to the floor. "Don't _do _that! You know it scares the crap out of me."

David didn't smile.

"What's wrong?"

And in that instant, I knew that something _was _wrong. Very wrong. And David knew it.

"I _knew_ it!" David hissed. "I told him. That idiot!"

"What?" I asked, picking myself up off the dusty floor.

"Marko," said David.

A thrill of fear ran through me. "Marko? What's happened to him?"

David ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "Nothing. Yet."

"Elaborate, please!"

David looked at me. He sighed. "He . . . thought you'd been kidnapped."

Relief washed through me. "Oh. Why the hell would he think that?"

David frowned. "It's not . . . Allie, he . . . he might still be in danger."

"What? What happened? David, _tell me!"_

David took a deep breath and launched into his tale.

_The pale, silvery light of a half-moon shone through the gap in the cave. David sat, lounging on the couch. Marko, Dwayne and Paul were sat beside him, the body of a drained girl at their feet._

_Footsteps echoed in the air, the sound waves reaching the four vampires' ears in a fraction of a second. _

_David stood up, molten gold burning in his eyes. In an instant he was being pinned down. _

_A dark, ebony-skinned young woman was holding him by the throat against the pillows. Strands of gold laced through her midnight hair, like royalty. The woman dug her nails into his throat until burgundy liquid seeped out from underneath her painted red fingernails. Then she let go, and David gasped, clutching at his bloody throat._

_She turned to Marko. _

"_Hello, Marko." She said, her voice silken and compelling. "It's been a while."_

_Marko gaped, his face paling. "Maria . . .?"_

"_I see you do remember me. I wasn't sure you would."_

_Maria laughed, and slinked over to where Marko was sitting, stunned. She planted herself next to him with a catlike grace. Her hand rose and caressed his face, a dark silhouette against snow. Then she brought her lips up to meet his and they moved together._

"_I've missed you," she said. _

"_What the hell are you doing here, Maria?" Marko said quietly, pulling away. _

_There was a growl from behind Maria, and David pounced. _

"_I don't think so," Maria said, disgust in her voice. "Stop!"_

_David froze, and shock crossed his face. "You. You're the head vampire!"_

_Maria smiled. "Two plus two," she said smoothly. "I've been watching you for weeks."_

_David snarled and tried to reach her again, but he was pinned to the floor by and invisible force. Maria smiled, turned her back to the other three vampires, to face Marko. _

"_Come with me," she said, her wide, eyeliner-rimmed eyes glistening. "Leave with me."_

"_What?" said Marko, his mind whirring. "You turned me, and then you left me. _Alone. _I'm not abandoning my family like you did, Maria."_

_She smiled. "I'd rather you go willingly. But either way, you don't really have a choice in the matter."_

"_Why now? It's been over a century."_

"_Because you now you have no choice but to go with me. I still love you, Marko."_

_Marko's eyes narrowed. "You can't make me. I belong here."_

"_Yes, I know of your little . . . dilemma. But that's taken care of. The girl – Alison, is that right? – is safely back with the rest of my family. Unconscious."_

_Maria produced a vial of blood, and shook it in front of his face. "Proof."_

"_Allie?" Marko gasped, stunned. _

"_Your human, yes. It's like this, Marko. You come with me, and we'll set her free. She'll know nothing. She will merely think you've abandoned her. Or . . . you refuse to go with me, in which case I will rip her head off and force you to accompany me. Which of those is preferable to you?"_

_Marko didn't answer. _

"_The clock's ticking, Marko. I give you an hour. You'll find us one-hundred miles south of here – look for our scent. That's all."_

_Maria turned and left, and David rolled over onto his back, finally able to move. _

"_Do _not _tell me you are going with her, Marko." Paul said quietly. _

_Marko glared at him. "I hardly have a choice, do I? They've got Allie."_

"_You don't know that," David spat. "It could be a trick."_

"_They have her blood!"_

"_You're not going."_

"_Yes, I am. I'll see you later . . . if I'm still alive. I'm going to kill her for this, David."_

_And he walked away, without even looking back. _

"But she didn't kidnap me! How did she get my blood . . . ?"

And then I remembered. The man! The one with the cinnamon breath, and the long dark hair.

Dammit!

"What are we going to do?" I whispered.

"Nothing," said David. "_I _– as in, just myself – am going to go and rescue him. You are not going anywhere near Maria."

"What? I have a better chance than you do! She can tell you what she wants and you'll have to do it. She's the head vampire."

"I won't let you get hurt."

I blinked. So David did care about me after all. Well. He had a lovely way of showing it. "I'm going."

"No you're not."

I turned to look at him. "Try to stop me."


	20. Chapter 20

**So here's the next chapter! Thank you so much to those who reviewed the last chapter, I am so grateful that you've stuck with me for this long . . . especially since I'm taking forever to update :) Love you guys.**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 20: For love or humanity<span>

David left ten minutes later. Paul and Dwayne were with him, silent shadows by his side, dark as the night.

And I was left alone.

Of course. Even though my boyfriend's life was at stake, I was forced to sit here all safe and sound and wait for them. Didn't they realize that it was more than that? My entire world was balanced precariously on the edge and I wasn't even allowed to try and stop it.

What were they supposed to do, anyway? They couldn't kill Maria, they couldn't even _try. _So there was no point in any of them going. As far as she was concerned, I was more dangerous than any vampire under her control. And of all the ideas forming in my head, only one seemed close to working.

I went out into the back room of the cave, and looked around. It was pitch black. With my hands fanning the air in front of me, I moved forward, searching for something I thought I'd never want to see or feel again. My hand found the smooth, polished wood handle of an antique cupboard. I pried it open and reached my hand hesitantly inside. My fingers closed around a cold wine bottle.

I smiled.

* * *

><p>The first half of my plan was complete; and it also had the potential to ruin my life. But I figured that between Marko and my mortality, the second option was the one I could barter with the easiest.<p>

And I _was_ bartering with it. Or throwing it away; it depends on your point of view. Because if I killed Maria – not taking into account the likelihood of that actually happening – then I could be human again. And that was something I prized above everything but love.

Within half an hour the second half of my plan began. I sat at home in the living room, twirling the spiral cord of the telephone around my finger.

"Hello?"

"Alan, is that you?" I said quietly, trying not to wake my mother. No need for unnecessary complications.

All was silent on the other end of the line.

And then: "What do you want?"

I sighed. "I know I haven't seen you lately, and I know it's my fault. I have no excuses. But I need your help."

"Maybe we don't want to help you."

"Alan. I _need _you. Please, for me."

Alan heaved a sigh. "What do you want, Allie?"

"Are you up for kicking some vampire ass?"

"Now that's more like it!" I heard the smile in his voice.

"I take it those freaks from the boardwalk –"

"Not them. They're kind of . . . helping us. But there are these other ones which have invaded town and –"

"You mean we _can't _kill bloodsuckers? There's no way I'm –"

"We need them, Alan. They'll help us. Do you want to protect Santa Carla, or are you going to let your dislike for all vampires get in the way of saving this town?"

I knew I'd got to him before he even spoke. "You can't . . . _I _can't . . ." he sighed. "Alright then. But I mean it – if your vampires make one wrong move – just one – then I'm staking the lot of them."

"I know, I know, Alan. Give me a chance. They're the good guys – for now, anyway. We'll deal with them later," I lied.

"Fine. So when d'you need us?"

"Um . . . now, I suppose. Meet me at the boardwalk in ten minutes. I don't have time to explain – just do what I say, OK?"

I hung up.

Alan and Edgar were early. I could see the telltale bulges underneath their clothes – meaning stakes. And holy water. And probably a whole load of other vampire-killing weaponry. But that's just what we needed right now, minus the obvious I'm-going-to-stake-your-vampire-ass looks. Another thing which I hadn't been expected was an extra ally – a tall, blonde guy with a friendly expression. Obviously, he was a rookie.

Alan had brought his parents' car, too. Probably without their permission, but a little rule-breaking was favourable to me at the moment. It meant they wouldn't back down.

"Explain," said Edgar before I was in a five-metre radius of him.

I took a deep breath, running the short explanation through my head once. "There's a new head vampire," I explained. "One that's probably intent on sticking round a while longer and wreaking havoc, no matter what she says she's planning on doing. We need to kill her . . . before she kills anyone else."

"And your vampires are supposed to help us? They kill people themselves. Lots of people."

"They're . . . kind of under her control. But if we don't get rid of her, then there'll be ten times more dead people. Trust me."

"Why should we when you're one yourself?" said Alan.

That was entirely unexpected. But not necessarily untrue. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Your scars have gone. On your face."

Of course. "I _was _one – past tense. But we killed the old head vampire, and that's how the new one is here. Seriously, I'm not a vampire . . . I'm in the sunlight."

Not a lie. But not strictly the truth, either.

"That's good. For all of us."

I heard the meaning behind his words, and tried not to choke up. "Yeah. Now let's go."

The filtered sunlight was making me sweat; I tried to ignore the prickling sensation running across my skin like electric.

"One problem – where exactly _are _we going?" asked Rookie.

"I'm not sure – but I think – that I know. David . . . the blond one . . . kind of left a hint."

"What kind of hint?" he asked, eager.

"He said they'd be one-hundred miles south of here. And then he mentioned an excavation site . . ."

"You think it's _that _place?" Well. He was obviously local, too.

"It's the only place big enough to house that many vampires. I'm sure Maria's got dozens of them with her at the moment."

The three boys exchanged uneasy glances. I knew why. Last summer, they'd been stories in the papers of an abandoned excavation site south of Santa Carla. People went in, and they never came back out again."

Now I knew why.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, when the sun was at its highest in the sky, we reached the site. Even in the daylight, it looked creepy. Dark caves and abandoned mines lay scattered around like black dots on paper. The points of darkness were as regular as they were uninviting, and the huge slabs of sandstone around them did nothing to take away the vacancy and emptiness that pervaded the place.<p>

Unease radiated off the other three like a bad smell – as distasteful as it was noticeable. I tried to ignore it. If my plan worked – which I hoped it would – then I got my humanity back. I tried to convince myself that drinking David's blood wasn't just to motivate me into killing Maria, because I was doing this for love. I had to be, or there was no point in doing it at all. Marko was my life. Even if it was because of him that I _wasn't alive. _Kind of ironic, don't you think?

We stared out at the darkest, largest cave. The one I was sure housed the unsuspecting vampires. There was the sound of tyres braking on sand and grit, and I tugged Alan's arm. I had no idea what another car was doing here, but I'd rather not find out.

**Review? :)**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hey guys! So thanks to those of you who reviewed the last chapter, your awesomeness inspires me :) :) :)**

**Anyway, here's another chapter. I just randomly started writing it earlier, as I couldn't think of anything else to write, so you're in luck!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 21: Act<span>

The sun, cool enough on my skin, turned flaming hot. My feet turned to lead.

I couldn't move.

Was this what fear was like? The darkness, so encroaching, was the blackest shade of black; though it wasn't the darkness that scared me. It was fear of the unknown. Who _was _Maria? Someone even David was afraid of, who was in control of dozens of immortals; someone who could kill me and not lose any sleep over it, probably. Someone who I had every right to be afraid of.

"Allie? Allie, come on. We need to find them before it gets dark." Edgar nudged my shoulder.

My throat was as dry as bone. I could barely manage to croak out, "This way."

I tried to move my feet, but they were stuck fast. I'd heard people talk about being paralyzed with fear, but I'd never truly understood what such fear felt like. It was pure, gut-wrenching terror. And I couldn't escape it.

"Allie?" Edgar shook me this time, harder.

I still couldn't do anything but watch as my composure faltered. I could smell them – the vampires. Their scent led straight to the darkest cave, and I could taste their power on the tip of my tongue; a metallic tang that made my head thrum. It made me remember the fact that my plan would only work so long as I resisted the urge . . . the _thirst._

I couldn't fall into Maria's greedy hands. I wouldn't let that happen.

I took comfort in the knowledge that I had one more trick up my sleeve, and pushed forward. As soon as my foot moved in front of the other, as soon as I'd made that next step – the hardest step – I knew that the metaphorical brick wall stopping me from facing my fears was gone.

I headed towards the black fissure in the sandstone with a determination unlike anything I'd ever felt before. Edgar, Alan, and Rookie followed, walking carefully in my footsteps.

"How do you know which one it is?" asked Rookie.

"It's the darkest," I said, and it wasn't strictly a lie. But I couldn't afford them to know what I was. Not yet.

There wasn't any hesitation on my part as we stepped into the cavern. Wooden beams hung precariously above my head, welded firmly into the rock, and deeper into the tunnel there was a fork in the path. Alan and Edgar flicked on their flashlights, and I hissed at them.

"Turn them off! They'll see it."

Alan protested, "But we can't _see _anything!"

I'd forgotten that their eyesight wasn't as good as a half-vampire's. Either way; I wasn't going to risk us being caught.

"I'll guide you; I can see."

"How?"

"I have good eyesight." I muttered, warding off further questions.

Alan took my hand and we all formed a chain, so neither one of us would be separated from the others. Quietly, I began a brisk walk down the tunnel.

What felt like an eternity later, we reached the fork in the tunnel. I took the right, letting the vampires' scent steer me further into the recesses of the sandstone, and listened for any sounds. I could hear heartbeats; not warm and wet, like the humans' behind me – but hard and cold, like stone. There was breathing, too; the deep and heavy breaths of the sleeping.

We had the element of surprise.

I wandered farther into the caves, and came upon a large cavern with various exits around its perimeter. I could hear the breathing more clearly now, and realised with a shudder that they were coming from one of the back rooms; too close. Much too close.

And then, apart from the rest, I noticed another heartbeat, alongside a fresh set of lungs. The heartbeat was faster than the others, and the lungs drew in slow breaths. Quiet and deliberate breaths.

And then, someone stepped out in front of me.

* * *

><p>I screamed. Behind me, the boys scattered. I heard someone – Rookie, perhaps? – run back along the way we'd come. Edgar ran to the left; Alan went right.<p>

I, however, stood perfectly still.

The person stood in front of me was a woman – in her mid-twenties, I'd say – with ebony skin and black hair. Gold strands were entwined into the locks, and her catlike eyes were rimmed in eyeliner, giving her the exotic-princess look. She was wearing a dress, black and flowing, with gold and diamond fixed on the hem.

Maria.

Strangely, my fear vanished. Something else – something more sinister – rose within me. Anger. And holding that in my heart, as surely as if I were clinging on for dear life; I began to act.

"Marko?" I said. "Marko, is that you?"

I saw Maria smile, and reach forward to touch my shoulder.

She whispered, "It's me." and when she spoke, and her voice was quite unexpected. An exact replica of Marko's, it had none of the feral quality I'd imagined it to comprise.

"Oh my God," I whispered. "I thought you were dead. Please – we need to get out of here."

"We will; follow me."

Maria took hold of my wrist and tugged carefully, like Marko would. It was convincing – I'll give her that much. She led me slowly forward, towards the sleeping vampires.

_Thump thump, thump thump. _

I nearly turned around, until I remembered that I shouldn't be able to hear the footsteps padding along behind me. Quite far away, but getting nearer every second.

Not Alan's; nor Edgar's. Not even Rookie's.

I wondered who had followed me into the cave.

A second later, I had no time to wonder. Maria released my wrist, and walked across the cavern to a chair – though it was more of a throne – and sat down.

"Wake!" cried Maria in a clear, cold voice. "Marko, my love, you will want to see this."

The vampires in the room stirred, and then sat up. There were about a dozen of them, perhaps more, and they all stared at me with hungry faces, eyes alight with thirst.

"Allie!"

I saw Marko's horror-struck face staring at me from the opposite end of the cavern. David, Paul, and Dwayne were next to him, gazing at me in wonder.

"Marko? Marko, what's happening? I can't see anything . . . it's so dark . . ."

"Allie, you're gonna be alright. Listen, OK? You'll be fine, I promise. I won't let them hurt you."

Maria laughed, and all the eyes in the room fell on her. "I don't think you can promise much anymore, dear Marko. If I so wished, I could have you be her killer! Wouldn't that be . . . entertaining?"

Marko paled, and I saw David try to launch himself at Maria – only to meet an invisible force field that restrained him from moving within two metres of her. I whimpered, and stumbled blindly forward with my eyes half closed, as if I was trying to see something in the darkness. As if I was still human.

Marko moved towards me, but Maria intercepted.

"Watch me, Marko, as I end her – and feed on her human blood as her life drains slowly out of her. Watch me, and remember that she was never good enough for you. Not while she's human."

Maria took my face in her hands. Her dark brown eyes turned a molten gold as she leaned in to my neck, and her incisors elongated into gleaming fangs. She was beautiful; a million times more so than me, and deadly. A mere human could never finish her off.

I slid my hand behind my belt, and drew out a long, sharp stake. And as Maria's jaws closed around my throat, I heaved upwards. The stake slammed into her chest. There was a moment's silence as her mouth fell open with a sickening gasp, and then . . .

All hell broke loose.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hey guys! So thanks to you awesome people who reviewed, it means a lot :) :) :)**

**Here's the next chapter!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 22: Cursed<span>

Maria crumpled to the floor, the stake jutting out of her chest at a weird angle. My hands were covered in her blood. Time seemed to speed up as the other vampires took in everything that had happened.

Then someone barrelled into me and threw me against the cave wall, where I landed with a heavy _thud _and slumped to the floor. My head span. I looked out across the cavern with blurry vision, and saw Maria squirming on the floor, not yet dead.

And then I heard three more humans join the commotion – Alan, Edgar, and Rookie.

Only, there were four human heartbeats in the room.

I managed to stand up and steady myself, and felt what must have been a broken wrist knit itself back together. Looking around, I saw Marko staring at me with wide eyes; Maria wasn't the only one who'd been convinced that I was still human. But an explanation would have to wait.

I saw Maria crawling away from the tumult as Marko was slammed to the floor. It was vampire-on-vampire – no rules, just pure terror and bloodshed. No one was sure which side they were on anymore. My automatic instinct was to go and help Marko, and then –

I saw my mother.

She was standing in the entrance, a stake in her hands which she slid neatly into a vampire's chest. The guy fell to the floor in a crumpled heap at her feet. She stared at me, and my heart sped up. So it was _her _who'd been following us; the footsteps I'd heard behind me were my mother's.

She opened her mouth to say something. I started to walk over to her, my forehead piled high with frown-lines.

And then her body convulsed, and she fell to the floor.

Rookie was standing behind her. He yanked a stake from her chest and wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve. Alan and Edgar stood behind him, frozen as they watched my mother's body go still.

My next decision wasn't a conscious one. In the next second I was standing next to the boy who had just killed my mother. As he watched her lifeless body, his eyes registered his mistake. And then my jaws closed around his neck. Blood gurgled in his throat as he screamed. With a sharp twist of my hands, I snapped his neck. I heard the sharp _crack _as his spine ruptured and his body slumped to the ground.

In an instant, my body went cold. An icy strength surged through my veins, and made its way up to my heart, where it froze solid. My heartbeat stopped. I waited to die.

And then I realized what had happened. A second later my heartbeat picked up again, and I took a deep, shuddering breath.

The world changed within the space of a few seconds. As a half vampire, all my senses had been heightened to what felt like magic. _This _. . . was indescribable. I was powerful. _Fast. _I felt like a god. There was nothing that could stop me. Except . . . I felt imaginary manacles bind my wrists, and I realized that I was tied to an oath I had no control over. _It _controlled _me. _

I looked up from Rookie's body. Marko was staring at me, the limp form of one of Maria's vampires in his arms. His expression was unreadable.

Alan and Edgar had run for it. I heard their footsteps getting further away, and then stop; my ears picked up hollow, heavy breathing a few paces from them.

"Get away . . ." Maria's hoarse whisper was loud in my ears. "Stay back!"

I heard Alan draw a stake from his shirt and slam it into her back. Her breathing faltered, and this time she didn't crawl away. She was dead. The control over me shifted, and this time it felt nearer to me; David gasped and twitched. I saw him momentarily close his eyes.

"Stop," growled David.

The remaining vampires in the room froze. David's compulsion rendered them immobile.

"As soon as the sun comes up," he said in a slick, deadly whisper, "I want you to leave. None of you are to harm me or my family. If you ever go back to Santa Carla, _I will kill you. _Only my family and I have permission to return."

And he walked out of the room. He gestured for me, Marko, Paul and Dwayne to follow.

In shock, I hesitated. And then I followed them out of the room and into another section of the cave.

Marko rushed to my side. "What the _hell _are you doing? Do you have any idea how easy it would've been for one of those vampires to snap your neck? How did you even . . . ?"

David turned on me. "I know how," he said.

Dwayne eyed me carefully. "How? She didn't have vampire blood in her system when we left."

"She found the bottle," said David. "And drank from it. Didn't you?"

I nodded. "I had no choice. Without me, you'd all be Maria's slaves. You should be thanking me!"

"Thanking you? You nearly got yourself killed!" Paul exclaimed angrily.

"Like you care, idiot." I hissed.

He glared at me.

There was a second of silence, and then Marko hugged me. "Allie," he sighed. "I thought I'd never see you again."

"Me too," I said.

And then I started crying. It was all too much; the pain of losing my mother; the guilt of killing someone; the _relief _that washed over me when Marko wrapped his strong arms around me. It surged through me with devastating force.

What had I _done? _My future spread out before me, saturated with bloodshed and carnage. I was a vampire. I needed blood to survive; human blood. I looked down, and watched a drop of scarlet drip to the floor. Rookie's blood. I brought my hand up to my face and touched my lips. When I looked at my fingers, they were slick with crimson.

And right then I knew that no matter how much I washed my hands, they would never be clean of the blood. The guilt would be a lead weight resting upon my heart until the day I finally died. Which was probably a long, _long _time from now.

I pushed myself away from Marko and took a deep breath. Why should I feel guilty? Rookie had murdered my mother. It was only revenge, and he deserved to die after what he'd done. But the pain of losing someone close to me? There was nothing to take that away. That'd be with me forever. I guess that when you lose someone, the pain never really goes away; it lessens, and you learn to deal with it and bury it, but it's still there. Never leaving you, never letting you forget for even a day. And eternity was a very long time to feel that kind of pain.

Now I knew why a lot of people called immortality a curse. Lifetimes of loss and loneliness would be the biggest curse I'd ever have to bear.

But Marko was there to share it with me; to ease the burden and to pull me through when I was close to giving up. He would always be there.

And it was that hope that saved me.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hey guys. So I've _finally _got round to uploading the next chapter, even though it's taken me over two weeks. Sorry for that. But anyway, thanks to the people that reviewed the last chapter, you're awesome :) **

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 23: What the hell . . . ?<span>**  
><strong>

Terror shone in the girl's eyes. It was rational fear; justified, because she should be scared of me. But they never were until the last minute. I suppose it was easier that way, if it was only in the last moments that their fear reflected what I had become; otherwise, I would have to bear it that much longer.

"Don't scream," I said, aware that the beach we were on was only a few hundred yards away from the nearest houses. "I won't kill you if you don't scream."

I could see that she wanted to, desperately. But she couldn't. Her throat was too dry for that, and my ears could pick up the rough noises she made as she tried to swallow. Even though adrenaline coursed through her veins she couldn't run.

Not that it made much difference.

I walked forward slowly, so that she wasn't alarmed. My hands were held out, palms open, showing her she could trust me. Showing her I had nothing to hide.

"Shhhh," I said. "I won't hurt you."

I knew she didn't believe me. I knew that every cell in her body was urging her to run, to trust her instincts and get as far away from me as possible; I knew all of this, because I'd felt it before. The only difference was that I _had _run.

I took another step forward. She didn't notice, because her eyes were fixed so firmly on mine. Eyes that would be wide and innocent; a little _too _innocent, perhaps.

And then, just as her legs found the strength to run, I pounced. Her body crumpled under me, crushed into the sand as my teeth closed around her neck. I felt her hot blood wash over my tongue; sweeter than sugar, my automatic instinct was to close my eyes and never stop drinking until every last drop was gone.

I resisted. It was hard; nearly impossible at times, but I still did it. I gasped as my teeth came free of her flesh. How sweet her blood was! I could allow myself one more taste . . . just one . . .

_No. _If I gave up now, there would be no going back. I would kill her. I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. Her body was limp; she had passed out, but her breathing was regular. I hadn't deprived her of more than three pints.

With a feather-light touch, I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder. I carried her to the nearest bus shelter and carefully lay her on the ground, out of sight of any passers-by. With any luck she wouldn't remember anything when she woke up.

I heaved a sigh and walked back the way I came.

"Still trying to keep them alive?"

I turned round slowly. David watched me with a smirk on his face, aware, I'm sure, of the trail of crimson dripping down his chin. I felt blood rise in my cheeks.

"It's better than killing them." I said heatedly. "You can laugh all you want, but you can't change my mind."

He was next to me in a flash, his finger stroking my cheek as he moved in closer. "I could if I wanted to," he whispered. "All I have to do is say the word."

I shrugged away, but he wouldn't let me move any further than a foot away from him. "You wouldn't."

He smiled, and wiped some of the blood off his chin with a finger. I frowned as he lifted it to my face.

It smelled delicious. My throat was on fire, and I felt my teeth elongate once again into razor-sharp fangs. I leaned in, towards the blood. Just one taste . . .

David laughed, and then licked the blood off his hand. He moved away and looked me in the eyes.

"Not so easy, is it?" he asked.

I glared at him. "Dick."

He smirked as he walked away, cleaning the remaining blood off his face. I fell into a crouch and bared my teeth, feeling my muscles ripple as the desire to kick his smug ass set in.

I launched myself at him, and a second too late he turned around. We fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs. David growled and thrashed as I hooked my arm around his neck and pinned him to the floor.

"Not bad-ass enough to beat me, tough guy?"

He hissed and squirmed, but I held firm. "Stay still," he commanded when my grip tightened.

Dammit! My arms locked and, in less than a second, David was on top of me.

"Cheater!" I exclaimed. "That is _so _not fair!"

He grinned and leaned in closer, his warm breath spilling over my face. "Who ever said I played fair?" he said.

And then he kissed me.

It was a quick kiss – more of a peck really – but his soft lips touched mine in a way that was less than appropriate for people who were just friends.

Then he let me go, and was walking away before I could process what had just happened.

"What the hell?" I wondered aloud.

David sighed. "You can get up now," he said, and I felt my body regain the ability to move.

"What the hell?" I repeated, louder this time.

He turned to look at me. "Don't sound so surprised," he said, "It's insulting."

"You . . . _kissed _me!"

He smirked, and continued to walk away from me. "I know that you're not going to say a word to Marko, so I suppose you should know. I like you, Allie. And I'm going to fight for you . . . even if it means Marko loses out."

I was too shocked to wonder whether or not he was telling the truth. "But . . . you compelled me to stay still! That's not fighting fair . . . that's just disgusting."

He turned around and caught my eye. "Who ever said I played fair?"


	24. Chapter 24

**Hey guys. So thanks to you guys who reviewed the last chapter, you are truly cool people. This chapter's a bit short, but the plot line is completely lost on me again. Writer's block sucks. I also kind of dropped out of my 'creative' mood as soon as I'd turned on my laptop.  
>Either way: enjoy!<strong>

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Chapter 24: For all our sakes

I waited in silence until Marko came home from hunting that night. David was asleep, as was Dwayne; they'd finished earlier from the others, so they wrapped up early and left me on the couch reading _Dracula. _It was quite an amusing read, actually, seeing which parts Bram Stoker had gotten wrong; they were the funniest parts.

When Marko and Paul finally came home, I'd nearly finished the novel and was just thinking of retiring to bed. I smiled gratefully at Marko and nodded to Paul as he strolled past us with an ego that was noticeably more inflated than it was already.

"What's Special Paul done tonight, then?" I asked, loud enough so Paul could hear.

I heard him give a loud snort as he soared up to the rafters.

Marko grinned and tackled me to the couch. "You don't even want to know," he whispered in my ear, and I giggled.

"You're probably right," I conceded. "On the other hand, I need to tell you something you probably do want to hear."

A frown puckered his forehead and he leaned away from me. "What's wrong?"

I bit my lip, wondering if this was the best course of action to take. I didn't want to start a fight between David and Marko; of course not, but David was certain that I wouldn't say a word.

Which was one of the main reasons why I wanted to.

"You're kind of jumping to conclusions," I noted.

"But I'm right," he guessed again, and took my hand. "What is it?"

"David."

Marko leaned back and rolled his eyes. "What's he done now?"

I looked away. "Promise me something first."

He gave me a scathing look. "Can't be that bad,"

"Promise me you won't . . . attack him if I tell you. Well, until he _really _asks for it, that is."

Marko scrutinised me. "You're pissed at him, aren't you? _Really _pissed. What's he done, Allie?"

I arched an eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes. "OK, I promise not to attack him. There."

"He kissed me," I divulged before I could wimp out.

Marko blinked. "No, really what has he done?"

Oh, crap.

I laughed nervously. "Um, I'm not joking. He, er, did."

I waited a second for it to sink in, and then his blank face contorted into a vicious snarl.

"You promised!" I reminded him before he could do anything rash.

"That little bastard," He growled and started to march in the direction of the rafters.

"Marko, you promised!" I hissed loudly.

He seemed to calm himself for a moment. "He kissed you."

"I know."

"_He kissed you."_

"Marko, we've covered that. And we also already know that he's a power-hungry moron who needs a good kick up the ass, but there's nothing we can do about it. His . . . _title _has gotten the better of him."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I tried to put my thoughts into words, without much success. "He _knows _the power he holds over us, Marko. He knows what it can do. I don't think . . . that his intentions are for the good of all of us anymore."

Marko's rage had almost faded. "If you're saying what I think you're trying to say, then I disagree. He's always been a dick."

Fair point. "I _know, _but this is different. He wouldn't have done that before. He would've respected our choices and not taken them away from us. It's . . . changing him, Marko."

He seemed to ponder this for a minute. "Maybe you're right. Maybe not. But either way, I'm going to kill –"

"Marko, if he knows you know – or worse, if you do something to piss him off – then he'll just try harder. We've got to act like we don't care. He likes to see how much control he has over people."

Marko's frown deepened. "I hope you're wrong," was all he said, before abruptly turning round and leaving me alone in the dark.

I pursed my lips. I wasn't sure whether I'd just condemned our relationship or strengthened it. Was David becoming darker than I'd ever thought he was capable of being? Or was he just being a jerk?

I mulled everything over in my head, turning it this way and that to see if I could pluck a strand of truth from anything, and came up blank. The possibilities of David's control over us had no ends. I didn't want to think that he could be so selfish as to break me and Marko apart, but the prospect was becoming more and more potent as I thought about it. Was I jumping to conclusions? Or was our friend and leader going corrupt?

For all of our sakes, I hoped he wasn't.


	25. Chapter 25

**Before you kill me for not updating in . . . well, a while, then I'll apologize now. I've been lazy, and spent most of my time either a) watching Sherlock (TV series) or b) reading the Hunger Games. Basically, I have been doing nothing social or creative while spending my time on said obsessions.  
>The good news is, I've finally got off my ass (figuratively of course. I'm actually laying on my bed -_-) and written a new chapter. Yay!<br>So enough rambling. Here it is!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 25: Proving a point<span>

I scratched absentmindedly at the small charm on my leather bracelet. I'd been picking at it for almost half an hour now, and the silver paint had chipped off on one point of the little pentagram. It had been Star's before she'd run away, and David, with no one left to give it to, had handed it down to me. It was pretty but was too personal for my taste. Or maybe I was just kidding myself; after all, I was the only girl left now that Star had run away with some Michael guy when we'd killed Max. David hadn't thought that bit through and was pretty pissed when he found out, but Marko, the optimist, had told him to let them run. We could always find them later.

My mind wandered to my mother, as it often did these days. I looked up at the shaded windows of my old home and sighed. Unbeknownst to me, when I had killed Maria and my mother had died, I could not enter my house. I was a vampire and there was no one left to invite me in. It was sad at first, realizing that I would never again walk those halls and sleep in that bed and sit by that fire, but I'd grown used to it. Now I just sat on the wall outside and stared longingly at the unhappy remnant of some past life, my only attachment to the human world. It would be better if I forgot about it, and never returned. But somehow I would always find myself coming back again. I tried to forget. I tired to cut myself off from my old life.

But it never worked.

For the first few weeks Marko would come with me on these visits, but about four months ago he'd stopped coming. That was when he realised that this was something I saved for me and me alone. I didn't want anyone else wallowing in my memories, especially when they didn't belong. My mother was my past. Marko is my present. I didn't want to blur the lines between the two any more than I already had.

The corner of my mouth twitched as I was brought back to awareness by a cloud of smoke passing over my face. David was sat next to me, puffing on a cigarette. I resisted the impulse to throttle him.

"What do you want?" I asked curtly.

"Always so cold," said David and blew smoke into my face again.

I ignored him and continued to stare up the house, hoping he'd get the subtle hint and leave. He sat there for a minute and then stood up. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come for a walk with me," he said.

"I don't really feel like it," I said as I watched him drop his cigarette and grind it under his boot.

"You're daydreaming, wallowing in the past. At least do something healthy with your time," he replied, motioning for me to follow him. He walked away.

I got slowly to me feet and drifted to the street corner where he was waiting patiently.

"What do you want, David?" I repeated, fatigue seeping into my voice. I hadn't been able to sleep properly for months and my lack of sleep was really beginning to catch up with me.

"I want to talk to you," he said.

"Well say what you've got to say and then we can go home."

"Walk with me."

I sighed. "I am walking with you."

He ran a hand through his blonde hair and turned to look at me. "Did you tell Marko that I compelled you to stay still and kissed you?"

I felt something snatch my willpower away from me.

"Yes." I hated him. I hated the fact that he could make me do whatever he wanted. I hated him for guessing my actions exactly.

I hated everything about him.

"Thought so," he said coolly. "Was his reaction good?"

He didn't compel me this time, so I just glared at him.

"I'll take that as a yes. I'm going to bet on him putting up a good fight, too. Too bad it won't be enough."

"Oh, yeah. Your fight for my love. You're forgetting the fact that I could watch you die and enjoy every moment of it."

I was pushing it – lying, even – and he could see that. David laughed and looked down at me fondly.

"You'll learn to love me eventually."

I didn't bother to even open my mouth. He knew what I had to say to that.

The sky was clear and you could see the stars, which was nice. But I missed the sun. I missed the warm, familiar feel of it on my skin. I missed being human.

And he knew it.

"Nice weather recently, huh? Clear blue skies, not a cloud in sight . . . I bet you miss that."

Of course he did.

"Look, if you're here to torment me then forget it. I don't have time for you and your stupid remarks," I said. "I'm going."

"But I don't want you to go." I felt the familiar tug in my mind that confirmed this as an order, and not an innocent comment.

"I want to stop."

I stopped.

"I want you to face me and look me in the eyes, and I want you to think about me. Only me."

Just as the power of his commandments faded, he breathed out and warm air brushed my face. I looked at him and found his cool blue eyes staring in to mine.

"Kiss me," he said. "You know you want to. Kiss me . . ."

I leaned in, enticed by his eyes and by the promise of his warm, moist lips. His mouth parted. I closed my eyes and reached up to kiss him, then felt my lips touch his as that hateful tug reminded me that my will was all but mine . . .

Except that it wasn't there.

I jerked back, surprised, and my mouth disconnected from his. Yet there was still no pull, nothing that made me stay. There hadn't been any pull since . . .

"I stopped compelling you when I told you to think about me," he said as if he'd read my mind. "I think you'll find that I do have a chance after all."

I tried to get angry, to search my memories for that elusive coercion that had made me kiss him. Except that it hadn't. Because when he'd told me I wanted him, there was no compulsion there. No tug. No pull. Nothing to make me do what I didn't want to do.

He hadn't come to force me to kiss him; no. He'd come here to prove a point.

And through my own stupid mistake, he had proved it.

Proved it well enough, at least, to make me reconsider everything I'd ever felt since the night I first met the Lost Boys.


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey, guys. Thanks for the lovely reviews, they were awesome! Here's the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy :)**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 26: If<span>

The body was still warm.

I sat there, rocking back and forth and pressing my fingers against the girl's neck every thirty seconds. Waiting for the steady pulse of blood beneath that pale white skin.

But it never came.

The realisation that I'd killed someone was so shocking and so crushing, that my lungs seemed to collapse in on themselves and wouldn't suck in another breath until my brain was nearly completely starved of oxygen. This girl lying before me on the sand had never harmed me. She'd never done anything to me. So why, then, was her heart so still? The human that had murdered my mother was at least deserving of the sharp teeth that had ripped into his neck. The hands that had ruptured his spine were at least justified in their actions. But now . . .

Truly, I was a monster.

In my anger and self-hatred, I'd punished this girl for my own misdeeds. And it was all David's fault. If I hadn't been so angry with him . . . if he hadn't been so desirable . . .

_If. _What a pointless word! So many ifs. If my mother had never died. If I'd never met the Lost Boys in the first place. If, if, if. I guess harbouring regrets is not just something humans do. And I have thousands of years to regret the things I can't change; things that should never have crossed my mind; words I shouldn't have said; words I _should _have said.

"Allie."

Marko's voice penetrated the blurry haze that fogged my brain. Guilt swelled within me until I just wanted to scream at someone to stop doing this to me, when the only person that could possibly stop this was long gone. Lost in a past life. My human life.

"Go away," I moaned. Why couldn't he leave? Why did I have to be so stupid and kiss David, when all I needed was right in front of me?

Oh God. What if he knew!

"Allie, it's not your fault. You couldn't help it." He sat down beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.

So he did know. And he wasn't repelled by me. "You should hate me," I said, my voice muffled by my sleeve. "_I_ hate me."

"You didn't know what you were doing," he said.

"I had no excuse . . . I'm sorry."

"Don't be ridiculous. How can I blame you for something I've done so many times in the past?"

My head shot up. What? "Do you mean . . . are you saying . . . you're _gay?"_

Marko blinked. "What the hell."

Oh, shit. He was talking about the girl, not about kissing David. I was such an idiot! Before I could bite my tongue, the whole story tumbled out of my mouth in a verbal waterfall. How I kissed David, how _confused _I was.

"I'm so sorry, Marko. I won't do it again. I promise. I'm so, so sorry!" I leaned into him and waited for the warmth of his arms to envelope me in their embrace.

Instead, he stood up.

"Marko?" I sniffed, my voice cracking.

"Are you joking?" His eyes were blazing. "Because if you're not, then I swear I'm going to fucking kill someone."

I'd never seen him so angry. His fists were tightened into balls and his teeth clenched and unclenched as he tried to reign himself in.

"Marko, I didn't mean to, I swear –"

"I gave you _everything!" _He yelled suddenly, making me jump. For the first time in my life, I was truly scared of what he might do to me. "What did he do that I didn't? What didn't I say? Huh? _Answer me!"_

"Nothing," I stammered. "Nothing."

"Then _why? _Why did you do it? What did I do to make you betray me?"

"It wasn't you, Marko, it was me. And David. I couldn't help it, he messed with my head and made me –"

"_Don't _say that. From what I've heard he didn't _have _to mess with your head. So don't even use that excuse, because it's a load of bullshi –"

I didn't want to hear another word. My head was pounding, my heart racing in my chest. I stood up and ran to the edge of the water fifty yards away. When it was deep enough to swim, I used all of my strength and speed to propel me away from there. From him. And most of all from myself.

When I came across a sharp, craggy rock jutting out of the ocean, I heaved myself onto it. It was large enough that I could curl up in a ball and press my head in between my knees, so that the sound of the crashing waves vibrated through my body and into my ears. To block out the words that were still ringing in my head.

When the first touch of sunlight glinted on the water, I made the decision to stay and die. At least I'd get a chance to feel the sun one last time. That should be worth it.

Half an hour passed, and the rock beneath me was beginning to thaw out. Warmth. Oh, how I missed it! I closed my eyes and tried to remember the feel of a hot, cloudless day. And then –

Heat erupted on my skin and I was on fire. My eyes flashed open, expecting to find myself shrouded in flame. There was no fire, but red blisters were beginning to eat away at my skin and the pain . . . the pain was excruciating. With no thought but to stop this unbearable agony, I dived into the water.

The sunlight was dimmed, but it still bit at my skin. The water provided no relief from the pain. With the remaining strength in my body, I swam for the shore as fast as I could. I knew that there were a few caverns in the rock-face less than a mile off from where I was now. If I raised my head above the water I'd probably be able to see them . . .

When I finally pulled myself up into a hole in the cliff-side, choking and gasping for breath, I saw something that made my heart skip a beat. Marko, leaping along the shoreline in the small patches of shadow that littered the coast. He'd seen me alright. But he hadn't helped.

He'd just watched as the sun rose over the water and my body turned slowly to ash.

**I'm sorry, Allie. But it had to be done :'(**

**Review? :) :) :) :) :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews, I'm glad you're still sticking with this. Sorry I haven't updated in forever, I've been kinda busy. Mainly my time's been spent reading, watching, and obsessing over the Hunger Games. All you people that have read it will sympathise with me on this one ;)  
>Anyway, I probably won't be able to update in over a week 'cause I'm on holiday. Yay!<br>But here's the next chapter for y'all :)**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Chapter 27: Remember that

When night came, I found myself heading home again. Perhaps I'd been here so much lately that I couldn't justify a night without visiting. Either way, I couldn't get in again. I pushed against the metal doorframe until it broke and even then I couldn't get my foot more then one centimetre past the gap.

Like a child, I sat down and buried my face in my knees. I cried more that night than I had in months.

In retrospect, I suppose that my tears were some sort of outlet for the things I'd been harbouring inside myself for so long. It was like an emotional waterfall. And when I was finished I didn't feel drained. Instead, I felt empowered. Like the tears I'd shed were also regrets that I'd managed to shake off. Perhaps this was my chance at starting again, the slate that my tears had wiped clean.

And now I didn't know what to do.

Go back to Marko? Pretend like nothing ever happened and go back to the way things were? Or maybe I could start afresh and build a new life somewhere else entirely.

Somehow, the thought saddened me.

I left the house and all the memories it held and went to the boardwalk. I don't know what I expected to find there. Maybe some remnant of my old self. I think that that is probably true, since I can't remember how I managed to wander all the way up to the comic store and go all the way inside.

Alan was behind the counter, looking mildly dissatisfied with something. I browsed the comics on the racks but didn't really take in any of what I was looking at. After a few minutes of silent perusing, I felt eyes boring into my back. No one said anything though. I waited a few minutes before turning round.

"Alan," I said. "Edgar."

They were looking at me as if I was some kind of mutant freak. I suppose I was to them, but I was so repelled by the idea of being a vampire that I'd started to almost pretend I was human again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Edgar said, his eyes burning with suspicion.

"Browsing," I replied. I hadn't meant to sound so cold, but it just came out that way.

Alan glared at me like I'd personally done him wrong. "No vampires allowed, no offence." He said.

"None taken."

"You know the rules, Allie. You used to work here with us, remember?"

All too well.

"I do," I said. "But I've kinda been kicked out, so I was wondering if you guys would . . . take me back."

"Fangs and all," added Edgar.

I nodded. "I won't hurt you. I've tried not to kill people, I swear. It's taken so much out of me. But I try so hard to be human."

Alan looked at me sadly. "But you're not."

"I know. I just want you to give me a chance."

"No deal, I'm afraid."

"Please, Edgar," I begged. I didn't want to be alone; I _couldn't _be alone.

"No."

"Wait," said Alan. "You can stay with us on one condition."

Edgar nearly choked. "I'm not having a vampire in my house."

"Hear me out," replied Alan. "You can stay with us . . . _if _you help us."

"How?" I asked, suspicious.

"By killing vampires with us."

"No. I can't do that. They're still my friends."

Alan shook his head. "I'm not talking about your vampire boyfriend. I mean other vamps. Rogues."

I thought about it. "Edgar?" I said.

"I think it's a pretty good deal. But you've also got to promise me you won't kill anyone. Or else we'll stake you before you can say 'traitor.'"

That stung, but I didn't think that I could get a better deal than that at the moment. "You're on," I said.

"Shake on it."

I stretched out my hand, and Edgar took it rather unwillingly. Then Alan did, and I saw Edgar discreetly wiping his palm on his t shirt.

"Our caravan's got one spare room in it," said Edgar. "So you can have that, I guess."

"Where are your parents?" I asked.

"My dear mother left and Dad's too drunk to notice any of us anymore. You'll be fine."

I felt guilty that I'd never bothered to check up on them. And judging by the bitterness in Edgar's tone, that guilt was probably deserved. For the next hour before they closed the store, I sat outside with my head down. Some people laughed at me and others even recognised me, but I ignored them all. Perhaps today was the day I could finally start over again. Forget everything that'd ever happened to me and live a new life.

I certainly hoped so.

* * *

><p>That night, it rained. I could hear it loud and clear on the caravan roof and I couldn't get to sleep, despite curling up into my most comfortable human position.<p>

I had started to think the rain had turned to hail because there was a very loud hammering noise on the window. It was just as I was about to drift off to sleep when I heard the whisper.

"Allie."

I shot up off the floor. Blankets were tangled round me and I fumbled desperately to escape them.

When I reach the window, I threw back the curtains. I knew who was there before I even saw the face. "Marko!" I hissed.

"Let me in," he said, tapping frantically on the window.

"No! Go away."

Water dripped down his blond hair and I tried not to gawp. Instead, I shut the curtains and went to sit down again.

But he was persistent. "Allie! Let me in and I can explain. I'm sorry. I am."

I ignored him.

"I mean it!" He insisted. "And I figured that since I ditched you I can't be angry at you for kissing David anymore."

Thanks for the reminder, idiot.

"Allie." His voice had turned pleading. "Please."

I threw open the curtains and opened the window an inch. "Marko, I don't care what you say. Yes, I felt guilty about David. But then you left me to die. _To die. _Do you understand how much that hurt me?"

"I know. I know, I'm sorry. But please. We can leave this."

"No we can't. Go away!" I repeated and went to slam the window.

His fingers stopped me. "We can. Leave with me, Allie. Leave Santa Carla with me. Please."

Oh, the temptation. I didn't want to agree and show him how weak I was when it came to him. But I couldn't possibly resist it, either.

"Let me think about it," I said. "I'll meet you tomorrow night at the beach."  
>He didn't smile. "I love you, Allie. Remember that."<p>

And then he was gone. I shut the window and curled up on the floor, trying not to cry.

_Remember that. _I didn't want to. I wanted to forget about everything and blot it all from my mind. But he said he loved me. And maybe he did. The only thing that I really knew was that despite anything I said, I loved him too.

Remember that, Marko.

Remember that.


	28. Chapter 28

**Ok, so I know this is a really bad ending. I'm sorry. But I was so bored with this fic that it got to the point where I had to end it or I would go insane. But thank you, readers, for all the wonderful support even though I have been on my worst behaviour with updating, etc. You are truly wonderful people :) :) :)  
>Well, I'm probably going to write a Hunger Games fanfic at some point, but I'm gonna take a little break from FF for a while. Again, thank you :)<br>And here it is!**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 28: No one follows<span>**  
><strong>

When I arrived at the beach, Marko was already there. The look on his face wasn't angry even though I knew he'd been waiting there for about two hours. I'd done it purposefully to wind him up.

"How long have you been here?" I asked innocently.

"Not long."

Liar. But then I suppose, when you have an eternity stretched out ahead of you, a few hours isn't exactly a long time.

"Have you made up your mind?" he asked me.

"You sure like to get straight to the point."

"Sorry."

"No you're not."

I looked at him, and he stared back. Where did we go from here? I couldn't exactly fall at his feet and declare my love for him without looking like a fool. And, well, to be perfectly honest my pride had already taken enough of a bashing in these last few weeks. The crying. The pointless decisions. Pointless, pointless decisions.

"I really am sorry. For everything," he Marko told me. "But we can run away. Far away. And no one will ever come between us again."

"If only that were true, Marko."

"It is."

"This is your home."

"No, Allie," he protested. "My home is wherever you are."

"Home is where the heart is."

"Exactly." He either didn't notice that I was being sarcastic, or didn't care enough to respond appropriately.

"Why now? Why do you want me back _now?"_

"Everyone makes mistakes. I did. After all, we're only . . ."

I feel blood rush to my cheeks. "Human," I finished for him. "We don't even have that excuse anymore."

"We're not God, then. Mistakes are something we all make sometimes."

"You don't even believe in God."

He took my hand, and I didn't yank it away. "I'm starting to. How else could I have found you, if there wasn't a God?"

"I start to think that, too, until I realise that that's a stupid idea. Coincidence is the word you're looking for. Luck. Chance."

"You're wrong," he said.

"Whatever. For crying out loud, you can't even walk inside a church. You're damned."

He stared at me.

"We're all damned," I whispered.

"If that's the case, I want to spend the rest of my eternal damnation with you."

I started to shake my head, but he took my face in his hands. "Don't," he said. "Don't say no."

"I . . ."

"Please."

To my extreme embarrassment, I started to cry. "Promise me we'll leave."

He nodded.

"Just us. No strings attached. We go, no one follows us, and we forget that any of this ever happened. Forget everything."

"Of course."

I leaned my head against his chest. "Then let's go. Now. No goodbyes. Nothing to make me stay."

"Of course."

I pulled away from him, and looked him in the eyes. They were sincere. He was really ready to leave his life behind, everything, for me. How incredible.

Perhaps this was my chance to wipe the slate clean, and keep it that way. Forever.

I felt Marko's arms twist around me as he pulled me into the ocean. "So no one follows," he told me.

I smiled. "We're going to be free, Marko."

"We are."

I laughed. "Free! Forever!"

And as Santa Carla disappeared over the horizon, I heard Marko whisper to me.

"Forever."


End file.
